Fourth grade's Friday visits to A Step Up Academy

The fourth grade has started visiting A Step Up Academy, which is an integrative school for children with autism, every other Friday morning. The students have enjoyed getting acquainted with the many children enrolled at the school. The amazing teachers at A Step Up have integrated our children into their lessons by partnering them with different students in the classroom. Meaningful community service, integrated with instruction and reflection can open up the idea of civic responsibility to children. Over time, we are hopeful our students will develop their sense of empathy and understand the significance of the role a single individual can play in another’s life. Service learning at its best can be a teaching and learning strategy.

December Update

Dear Lower School Families,

Winter break is around the corner, and we can smell snow in the air!  We are looking forward to some lovely events as we close out December.  This Friday we will be hosting our annual “Gift Wrap Party.” We’ve collected lots of wonderful toys, and we invite you to join us at 3:15 in the Extended Day space to help create wrapping paper and wrap the gifts for Youth Services, Inc.  All are welcome; please let us know if you or your child are planning to attend.

Our winter program, “The Peaceable Kingdom: Lessons for a Loving Heart,” will be at 10:30 in the Muller Auditorium on Wednesday, December 21.  Doors to the auditorium will open for seating at 10:00. Please be respectful of all and do not save seats.  It is unfair for those who are present and looking for a spot to be kept from unoccupied seats.  We also ask that you be mindful when taking photographs, and do not obstruct others’ view of the stage. The stairs must be kept open for student entrances and exits and also for safety reasons. Thank you for your partnership. We look forward to sharing this wonderful performance with you, and we hope you will join us in singing the closing song. 

You are invited to enjoy coffee and snacks prior to the Winter Program beginning at 9:00 in the Muller Lobby courtesy of our wonderful Home and School Association! 

Please note Lower School has a noon dismissal on Wednesday, December 21. Buses will not run, and there will not be Extended Day care. Please make sure you’ve made arrangements for your child to be picked up by noon.

December progress reports will be sent out prior to winter break.  We will return to school on January 3, 2017.  Information and reminders can found by visiting our blog, http://afslowerschool.blogspot.com/. As always, please feel free to reach out to us with questions.

Over winter break, we hope you find time with family and friends to share light, love and laughter.

Sincerely,

Andrea

What Do You See?

Second grade has been discussing how pictures tell stories. And not only do pictures tell stories, but two people can look at the exact same picture at the exact same time and each come away with totally different ideas. Second graders were eager to explain to me that this is possible because we all see things a little differently because all people are different. So as we read stories and listen to each other, we all bring our own unique life experiences and therefore unique perspectives.

Recently, half of the students lined up on one side of the room, and the other half on the other. In between them we placed a 6. Or was it a 9? Some saw a lock or a "g." Depending on where the students stood, they would see different things. This is part of an ongoing media literacy unit in which we talk about how media is experienced differently depending on who you are.  The students were then invited to create their own media. Using PhotoBooth and exploring the effects in the program, the second grade took selfies. Many, many selfies. We will be creating short slideshows with these images and letting students create their own captions. Our students will continue to explore, discuss and learn about Media Literacy as they continue through Lower School.

The Peaceable Kingdom: Lessons for a Loving Heart-COSTUME INFORMATION!

Ruth Stiles Gannett

Dear Families:

We are very excited to present to you this year’s winter program “The Peaceable Kingdom: Lessons for a Loving Heart” on Wednesday, December 21^st at 10:30 in The Muller Auditorium.

Costume Information

Please send your performer to school with a solid, brightly colored short-sleeved top and black bottoms (pants/jeans/leggings - no skirts, please). Please make sure your performer wears rubber soled, closed-toe shoes. Sneakers are preferable, as all students will be dancing!

Feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns:

khirlinger@abingtonfriends.net

Looking forward to watching your children shine their incredible lights on stage!

In Music,

Keisha

Ruth Stiles Gannett

Second Grade Takes a Trip to the Theatre

On Friday morning, the second grade classes went to the Arden Theatre to see the play, A Year With Frog and Toad.  We chose to see this production because the students had read Frog and Toad are Friends, a book about two best friends, earlier in the year.  This musical production starred Ben Dibble as Toad and Jeffrey Coon as Frog.  The students LOVED it and were acting out different parts of the story and singing songs the rest of the day!  At the end of the show, we had an extra special treat, courtesy of Harper's dad, John Flak, who used to work at the Arden.  He introduced us to Glen Perlman, the technical director, who answered many of our questions about the set and special effects.  We also got to meet "Frog" and "Toad" and ask them questions!  The show is running through the end of January if you want to see it.  The second graders give it two very big thumbs up!!

Holiday Projects for Our Community

A beautiful day for our walk!

Our first graders have been busy this December engaged in projects to help bring hope and joy to members of our community for the holidays. On Friday, we were joined by eight of our parents and walked to the Breathing Room Foundation in Jenkintown to work on a holiday project. The Breathing Room Foundation provides care and support to local families affected by cancer.  They reach out to families in many ways to give them 'breathing room' while dealing with very difficult circumstances. Holiday baskets are one way they reach out to these families.  It was an honor to help make special decorations and cards for this year's baskets.  The students created snowflake ornaments from colorful, sparkly beads, decorated greeting cards and the posters for the holiday party.  We greatly appreciated all the parents who joined us for this wonderful project.  To learn more about the Breathing Room Foundation, please visit their website.

Our next service project had the first graders and their fourth grade Meeting partners decorating and filling holiday gift bags for homeless men at the Whosoever Gospel Mission in Germantown. As we readied ourselves for our project, Susan read the moving Langston Hughes poem, Mother to Son, to give us a context for our work.  The Whosoever Gospel Mission is a Christian nonprofit organization, which serves all people, whose purpose is to provide shelter, food, clothing, education, counseling, rehabilitation and other assistance to homeless and/or needy men, women and children in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. The gift bags will provide snacks and a variety of personal items that are not readily accessible to individuals helped by the mission.  To learn more about their amazing work click here.  

The first graders truly enjoyed their time working with their partners creatively and thoughtfully designing the 56 gift bags and were delighted to know that their work would brighten the lives of others in our community.

Toy Collection for the Holidays

We are collecting new toys for Youth Service, Inc. - a program that is dedicated to meeting the changing needs of children and families in Philadelphia. 

 Youth Service, Inc. offers:

    * Emergency shelter for homeless and runaway teens

    * 24-hour emergency care for children 

    * Foster care and placement services

    * Parenting skills and counseling

    * Truancy prevention

    * Family-based services in the home

A collection box will be located in the Lower School lobby entrance.  Please refrain from giving video games, DVDs, or toys that are violent. 

On Friday, December 16 we will be creating our own wrapping paper and wrapping the gifts after school.  All are welcome to join us in the Extended Day space for snacks and gift wrapping from 3:15 - 4:30!

Questions? ask Andrea aemmons@abingtonfriends.net

 For information about Youth Service, Inc., please visit their website: http://ysiphila.org/