At first I considered writing about some of the work our staff did this summer and during staff retreat that we hope will positively impact each and every student this year, but the longer I thought, the more I realized I just needed to share all the amazing things I see going on here in a week.
Though school has started we still have families contacting us about enrollment for this current school year. Just this Monday we had a new student start at ACG, we are meeting with families interested in Sunrise and we have a new student starting at Upper Division on Monday. We also had our first open house for next year and had four families come to visit.
Rainbow had its parent meeting this week and parents had the opportunity to see what choice time is like in Rainbow and also to respond to journals that children had written to their parents. Sunrise will have their parent meeting next week, at which time all levels will have had their beginning of the year parent meeting. Rainbow also had two skype conferences with students in Poland and Canada. This a part of the Rock Our World program focusing on tolerance.
Parents have been very active around our campuses preparing for the Fall Unity Festival. This is always a wonderful afternoon and it is so exciting to see the work being done to get ready for this event. If it's not on your calendar, it will be held on October 16 from 3:30 to 6:30 at the Guilford campus of NGFS.
We have also had staff and parents and students helping to prepare for the NGFS Golf Tournament next Friday at Oak Hollow Golf Course. Hey, its not too late to sign up either, come on out and have a great afternoon.
On Wednesday approximately 25 upper division students, all of whom are in honors history to hear Father Elias Chacour, archbishop of the Galilee. He spoke about Palestine and Mar Elias, the school that he is head of there. He specifically talked to our students about being grateful for the school and opportunities they have and to use them well in the future.
More of our staff had an opportunity to continue work with Carl Hobert and his Axis of Hope curriculum on Monday at staff meeting. His hope is that we work with him to develop his curriculum through all levels of our school and then help other schools learn how to use the curriculum. We are excited about this vision for the future.
Just this week alone we have 3 middle division soccer games, by the way congrats on the win against High Point Friends School, a great game for both teams and a fun "Friendly rivalry;" 3 varsity volleyball games-our girls played a great game against St. Mary's for their 2nd win of the season and have another "Friendly rivalry" game against Carolina Friends School, and two cross country meets--most of our runners ran personal bests at their meet on Tuesday and the boys wone their home meet against Salem Baptist on Thursday.
Our middle school and upper division play has been cast and the actors have begin reading scripts and will get into more intensive practices soon. This year's play is Shakepeare's "As You Like It." We also have a Lego League team that has already begun practicing for their event later in the year.
The first Friendly Getaway heads out on Friday for a weekend of fun in the Smoky Mountains. These getaways are optional field trips offered periodically through the year to middle division students.
We had a wonderful Meeting For Worship this morning. During the "Carnation Ceremony" 12th graders welcomed Sunrisers to the new school year. Students from Sunrise through 12th grade were moved to speak about Peace in response to the story that was read.
Obviously, this doesn't begin to include all that is going on in each classroom, nor even all the special events occuring around the entire school. I think it is just amazing to see in one snapshot view some of what is going on at this amazing school. I know we are not a perfect community but it is joyful to see so much that is positive going on for our kids, parents and staff.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Honoring the NGFS statement of Peace
Honoring the NGFS statement of Peace
Along with the video updates that I have begun the year with, I will be keeping a regular blog to our community. As a staff we are growing in our use of all that is available to us and I feel this is a more interactive mechanism in which to share with the community. I hope to update this regularly and update the video regularly. I hope you are finding these useful in getting more of the overall flavor of all that goes on at NGFS and that the "What's Going on at NGFS" email is giving you the specifics about events that you need. Again hope that your child(ren) are working hard in the classroom, feeling challenged, and being joyful to be at NGFS.
What an exciting week at NGFS! Saturday we found out that NGFS had been selected from applicant schools all over the world to participate in Rock Our World. Others schools selected to participate in this project are located in Italy, Peru, Zambia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Japan. Students in Rainbow and Horizon will have an opportunity to participate. Activities will include creating collaborative songs with students in other countries and video conferencing. The theme for this round of Rock Our World is tolerance, which will tie in well with our studies of peace and equality.
On Monday, One Voice came to speak to Upper Division students and 8th graders in the Commons on the Upper Division campus. One Voice is a group of Palestinians and Israelis that are committed to bringing peace to that area. Our students heard from 3 members of this organization and had a chance to ask questions. I was amazed at the insightfulness of the questions our students asked: ranging from asking about serving in the Israeli military, to understanding the state of life for Ethiopian Jews in Israel, to what is like to travel through Palestine as a Palestinian dealing with checkpoints every few miles.
On Thursday, all classes heard stories of peace of learned of individuals who worked for peace during their lives, this will continue on Monday as well. Monday is officially International Day of Peace. We also had our annual Peace Potluck with the entire NGFS community. Though we had to move this event, but can we complain-the rain is so needed, to the Guilford campus this was a wonderful evening of fellowship for all.
Finally on Friday, we fully establish our relationship with Carl Hobert and Axis of Hope. He will be training many of our staff--all divisions of the school will be represented--and some invited guest to use this curriculum with our students, thus making us the hub school for Axis of Hope.
As a Friends School, the testimony of peace is at the heart of what we do. From our handbook we state, "Friends are committed to settling differences in all human relationships in a peaceful manner..." Carl, through his Axis of Hope Foundation, is working internationally with young people and educators to teach international conflict analysis, management and prevention skills. By teaching them to develop trust, compassion, and empathy for one another Axis of Hope seeks to change the landscape of conflict, and create the prospect of future peace, beginning today. The missions of the two organizations mesh together beautifully. We are so excited about this relationship and the immediate work that will begin with our upper division students and that will eventually take place in middle and lower divisions of the school.
It is truly exciting to see all that goes on in a week at NGFS that furthers not just the academic growth of our students but their growth as human beings as well.
Along with the video updates that I have begun the year with, I will be keeping a regular blog to our community. As a staff we are growing in our use of all that is available to us and I feel this is a more interactive mechanism in which to share with the community. I hope to update this regularly and update the video regularly. I hope you are finding these useful in getting more of the overall flavor of all that goes on at NGFS and that the "What's Going on at NGFS" email is giving you the specifics about events that you need. Again hope that your child(ren) are working hard in the classroom, feeling challenged, and being joyful to be at NGFS.
What an exciting week at NGFS! Saturday we found out that NGFS had been selected from applicant schools all over the world to participate in Rock Our World. Others schools selected to participate in this project are located in Italy, Peru, Zambia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Japan. Students in Rainbow and Horizon will have an opportunity to participate. Activities will include creating collaborative songs with students in other countries and video conferencing. The theme for this round of Rock Our World is tolerance, which will tie in well with our studies of peace and equality.
On Monday, One Voice came to speak to Upper Division students and 8th graders in the Commons on the Upper Division campus. One Voice is a group of Palestinians and Israelis that are committed to bringing peace to that area. Our students heard from 3 members of this organization and had a chance to ask questions. I was amazed at the insightfulness of the questions our students asked: ranging from asking about serving in the Israeli military, to understanding the state of life for Ethiopian Jews in Israel, to what is like to travel through Palestine as a Palestinian dealing with checkpoints every few miles.
On Thursday, all classes heard stories of peace of learned of individuals who worked for peace during their lives, this will continue on Monday as well. Monday is officially International Day of Peace. We also had our annual Peace Potluck with the entire NGFS community. Though we had to move this event, but can we complain-the rain is so needed, to the Guilford campus this was a wonderful evening of fellowship for all.
Finally on Friday, we fully establish our relationship with Carl Hobert and Axis of Hope. He will be training many of our staff--all divisions of the school will be represented--and some invited guest to use this curriculum with our students, thus making us the hub school for Axis of Hope.
As a Friends School, the testimony of peace is at the heart of what we do. From our handbook we state, "Friends are committed to settling differences in all human relationships in a peaceful manner..." Carl, through his Axis of Hope Foundation, is working internationally with young people and educators to teach international conflict analysis, management and prevention skills. By teaching them to develop trust, compassion, and empathy for one another Axis of Hope seeks to change the landscape of conflict, and create the prospect of future peace, beginning today. The missions of the two organizations mesh together beautifully. We are so excited about this relationship and the immediate work that will begin with our upper division students and that will eventually take place in middle and lower divisions of the school.
It is truly exciting to see all that goes on in a week at NGFS that furthers not just the academic growth of our students but their growth as human beings as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
