November Letter from Andrea

Dear Lower School Families,

I am wondering what happened to November. I feel as though I blinked and suddenly December was before me. Perhaps, many of you feel the same.  Today I am deliberately pausing to reflect on all that is good. I could never make a true tally of all that fills me with light and hope, but among the many are these:

• ·      Voices singing in the hallway
• ·      Friends who take care of one another
• ·      Warm applesauce made by little hands
• ·      Mud pies served on giant leaves
• ·      Poetry hanging on the wall
• ·      The thrill of continuous new discoveries

For these small wonders and so many more, I am truly grateful. The next few weeks will undoubtedly be busy ones, but amidst all the holidays, special events and lengthy to-do lists, I hope you are able to make space and see the light that is present in your lives.  At school we will be sharing joy and light in many ways.

Tuesday is an all-school pajama day where we will have the chance to strut our sleepwear.

On Wednesday morning at 8:20, we welcome all who are able to join us to Thanksgiving Meeting for Worship in the Meetinghouse. School ends at noon on Wednesday, buses will pick up at that time.  Lunch will not be served nor will there be Extended Day.

We will celebrate the many winter holidays with a new toy collection to share with families in need of help, culminating in a gift-wrapping party after school on Thursday, December 3.  We will enjoy snacks, make our own wrapping paper and wrap gifts. A toy donation is not required to be part of the gift-wrapping party.

We look forward to welcoming authors Jacqueline Davies on December 4 for kindergarten through fourth grades and Zachariah OHora for early childhood students on December 8.  Both are wonderful storytellers who will share the power of telling a story with our students.

Our Upper School Choral and Instrumental Concert is December 9 at 7 p.m. and we invite young families to come for some, or all, of the program. And our first winter all-school Spirit Day is December 11, culminating with a basketball quadruple-header against Friends Central.

On Friday, December 18 at 10:30 a.m., we will gather as a Lower School for our annual Winter Program.  This is a very special performance, which incorporates music, movement, poetry and more.  Through performance, our Lower School students will explore the meaning of light and how light is shared throughout the world.  Lower School will close at noon on that day and there will not be Extended Day.

Progress reports will be sent out just prior to Winter Break, which begins for Lower School at noon on December 18.

We are filled with gratitude at the many ways you and your children fill our community with light and love.  Thank you for all that you do to help make the Abington Friends School community such an amazing place.

Sincerely,
Andrea