Announcements

Please Help With This Month's Art Project
For the month of February, the art department will be focusing on artist of the month Dolores Gray. Since Dolores' work is rooted in identity and family history She is an African American artist who creates box assemblages using old photographs, some from her own family and some found or acquired. She also uses objects that have personal and symbolic meaning. Dolores weaves these photographs and objects together to create a narrative based on story telling, identity and family history. Students will be creating their own work and following are a few things that you can do with your child that would be helpful.

First, and most importantly, the art department encourages you to sit down with your child and share some family stories and significant memories. Some prompts to get you started are: What were you like when you were the age of your child? Where did you grow up and how was that different than the world we live in today? How did you meet your partner? What stories do you remember from your own parents or grandparents? Sharing some stories as a family may help your child to come up with a narrative for the work we will be making in the art room.

In addition to having some family story time it would be helpful if you could send in color copies of photographs of: themselves, family, and extended family such as grandparents or great grandparents. Please do not bring in the actual photographs as they will be incorporated into the art work. Please send the photographs into school in an envelope or folder clearly labeled with your child's name. If it is not possible to bring any photographs in, we will of course come up with creative solutions and incorporate other source images as Dolores does with her work. However, bringing in original material will allow your child to personalize their work and get the most out of this project.

We are really excited about this upcoming month of art and think it will be an excellent opportunity to celebrate family, identity and the loved ones in our lives. Thanks for your support!

Special Friends and Grandparents Day
We need volunteers to help on Friday, March 12th. If you have any time between 8:00-11:00am please contact Mardi Dier dierkush@comcast.net.

SAVE THE DATE: Rock and Roll Quiz Night
Be sure to mark your calendars for the much-anticipated student quiz night hosted by Dr. Jackson on Monday, April 19th from 6:00-7:00pm. Pizza will be served.

The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Join SFDS parent and A.C.T. company member Anthony Fusco, (James, 4th Grade) for a performance of The Caucasian Chalk Circle, to be followed by a reception exclusively for SFDS families and friends on Saturday, March 6 at 8:00pm. SFDS community members will be treated to cocktails and hors d’ouevres after the show with Fusco and other cast members.

$65 per person Includes premium-seat ticket and post-show reception in Fred's Columbia Room. RSVP by February 26 by calling 415-568-3633 or e-mail dostrova@sfds.net

CultureFest Auction Items Needed
The CultureFest auction is the primary way that we fundraiser for this event. Parents are encouraged to solicit items from merchants with whom they do business on a regular basis (merchants routinely donate to valued customers).  Parents should also consider donating home-made objects or personal services.  Time and again, the personal items – home cooked meals, parties, guided hikes- receive the most interest from bidders. Our hope is that every family at the School will donate or solicit one to two items for the online auction. Click here to fill out our online Rockstock Donation Form.

Conversational Japanese  Ages 10-14
Join us for conversational Japanese, Sunday evenings 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.  Small group (4-5 students ages mature 10 to 14) led by native speaker Takehito Etani, who has taught at the Baywood School.  Structured, fun conversational format in an engaging, comfortable environment.  We'll work weekly starting Sunday January 17 to build students' communication of the linguistic and cultural vocabulary of Japan.  Class held at the home of seventh grader Griffin Manilla, in the Castro/Buena Vista Park neighborhood.  Email Saundra McPherson sumcpherson@sbcglobal.net, or call 415.487.9827.

Be a Host Family for an International Teaching Intern
An opportunity has opened for a host family this Spring from late March until mid-June.  Our intern this year, Paula, hails from Mendoza, Argentina.  This is her second stint with us at the Day School, so she knows us and the city quite well.  We love her!  Paula teaches the bilingual students in grades 4-8, and offers an evening class for advanced adults.

As a host family, you will gain friendship, understanding, knowledge and a connection to the world. You will experience new tastes and customs, and have the chance to practice Spanish. Your children will learn from an international big sister, and may receive extra help with their own language studies. Long-lasting relationships that may develop between your family and the Intern may lead to an ongoing international friendship. Your children may also benefit from having a second family and a foreign pen pal.

The host family does not need to be a Day School family, although Day School families receive first priority.

Program requirements include:
*  Free room and board for the Intern (tax-deductible)
*  The Intern is expected to participate in family activities such as meals and chores
*  Intern is NOT to be expected to act in the capacity of an au pair or regular babysitter, but rather should be considered a member of the family
*  Intern must have a private bedroom
*  Intern can live with multiple families, but each family must host for a minimum of nine weeks        
*  The Program Coordinator must visit each prospective home to discuss arrangements, clarify expectations and confirm living conditions

If you are interested in hosting Paula this Spring, or if you have questions about the program, the requirements, or about the interns themselves, please contact Diane Grieman, the Program Coordinator:  568-3657   or dgrieman@sfds.net.

Looking Ahead

Mid-Winter Break
Feb 15 - 19

AEP is available February 16-19th for mid-winter break. Please contact Sheri Leavitt by February 11th to ensure proper staffing.

Committee on Service Learning for Families
The following service learning activities are for students and their families.

Please contact Barbara Abbott at babbott@sonic.net or Wendy Miller at Wjmiller2@earthlink.net.

Feb/March Community Listening Forums
Strategic Plan 2010: Envisioning an SFDS Education for the 21st Century

We need your voice!
Please join us for one of four upcoming Community Listening Forums:

Wednesday February 24 - 8:00-9:30 am
Wednesday, February 24 - 7:00-8:30 pm*
Wednesday, March 3 - 7:00-8:30 pm*
Thursday, March 4 - 8:00-9:30 am

*Arrive an hour early to socialize over light snacks, pizza and beverages.

Click here to RSVP

More information will follow early next week.