* December 8, 2023 * www.greenestreetfriends.org *

• Place order for Pizza Wednesdays: Deadline to order is Dec. 15, 2023. New session of Pizza Wednesdays begin Jan. 10, 2024.

• Attend the CARES Potluck: Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023 @4pm. RSVP HERE.

• Register your student for ASP Winter Clubs: Deadline to sign up is Dec. 19, 2023. Clubs begin Jan. 8, 2024. Register HERE.



• Help your student's class win a pizza party for 100% participation in the Annual Giving campaign! The amount doesn't matter... the participation does! Donate HERE.

As we enter the winter holiday season, many Jewish communities and families here and around the world celebrate Hanukkah (also known as Chanukah), a Festival of Lights which honors family, peace, and love through lighting of menorahs, special foods, and games. Hanukkah began this week at sundown on December 7 and lasts through sundown on December 15. During this season, we hope that Hanukkah may bring light and love to all those in our GSFS community who celebrate and their loved ones.

The Annual Fund campaign is well underway, and we are hoping we can count on your family to be a champion and supporter of GSFS!

As a part of our Annual Fund campaign, the Development Department is hosting a friendly competition to see which classes can reach 100% giving! In order for a class to win a pizza party, each family in that class needs to make a donation. There is no minimum amount needed to qualify- any and all donations count! As you can see from our graph, many classes are off to a great start, with Basha's 6th grade as the current leader, with close to 40% giving!

Click below to donate, and if you have any questions, please email Maani Waldor.

Friends! Join CARES Saturday, December 16th, from 4-6 pm for a celebratory cultural exchange potluck! 

Bring a dish to share that has cultural significance to you (it doesn't have to be seasonal, it doesn’t need to be ethnic, it doesn’t have to be homemade!) and a board game if you'd like. Al (5D parent) will be our "DJ" spinning tunes as we come together to celebrate and learn about our different cultures.

ALL are welcome! Please bring a dish if you can, but more importantly, just bring yourselves and join for some community building!

Here are your next steps:



• RSVP and send song requests HERE. 
• Sign up HERE with the dish you are bringing. CARES will provide paper goods and beverages.
• Prepare a little note explaining the dish and why it is special to your family, as well as an ingredient list for allergy purposes.
• Roll on into the multi-purpose room Saturday at 4 for a great time!

It's time to register for ASP Winter Clubs! To check out the full list of offerings, with dates, times, and details about instructors, please CLICK HERE.

Registration is due on Tuesday, December 19, 2023. New ASP clubs will start up when we return from winter break, on Monday, January 8, 2024. If you have questions, please contact Amy Fiske.

Pizza Wednesday continues to be a highlight each week. Not only does it make our students happy, it has raised vital funds for our Costa Rica Exchange Program. If your student isn't getting pizza currently but wants to, OR you placed an order for the first 12 weeks and want to extend your order into 2024... it's time to order pizza for 2024!

Details:

January 10, 2024 – March 20, 2024= 11 weeks

1 slice pizza plus fruit/snack sides = $5 per day for 11 weeks = $55

2 slices of pizza plus fruit/snack sides = $8 per day for 11 weeks = $88

Deadline to order: Friday, December 15, 2023

Families will be billed in early January 2024

To order, CLICK HERE. Once you complete the form and are registered, you will receive an email with link that enables you to pay electronically. If you have questions, please email Maani Waldor (including if you need to know if you are signed up for the whole two sessions already)

We are thrilled to welcome Claire Toland as our new math teacher in 7th & 8th grade! Claire is a seasoned educator with a 17-year tenure in teaching, blending a diverse educational background encompassing accounting, finance, and elementary education.  She has a Master's in Elementary Education from West Chester University and a multifaceted academic foundation from St. Joseph's University and Rosemont College.

Seeking to ignite passion in mathematics, Claire is excited to take on the role of 7/8 Math Teacher and 7th-grade homeroom Teacher at Greene Street Friends School. Her teaching expertise spans various roles, primarily in Philadelphia schools where she meticulously crafted engaging math curricula for grades 5 through 8. Her teaching philosophy revolves around personalized guidance and innovative strategies, leveraging technology to create interactive lessons tailored to diverse learning styles and abilities.

If you see Claire around campus, please say hello. We're so excited to have you, Clarie. Welcome to GSFS!

The Middle School will be hosting a "Spirit Week,"during the week of December 18th to 22nd. Check out the daily themes, and come to school feeling the spirit!

Calling all bibliophiles! The literacy committee has been working hard to set up a reading challenge to happen in these 3-4 weeks of December before our winter break. We are calling it Winter Warm-Up and are encouraging students to read as much as possible during this time both in school and at home. 

Students can keep track of the books they read on a simple tracker. An illustrated bookcase should have come home with your child. They have to color a book each time they read one. Trackers can be turned in to their teacher at the end of the next two weeks. We will then keep track of the number of books read by grade level graphically on posters positioned in the library (lower school) and 3rd-floor bulletin boards (middle school).  

This is not a competition per se, but a challenge for all students to read as much as they can. A fun partner activity for classes is planned for the end of December to celebrate meeting the challenge.

It's hard to believe, but it is already time to begin thinking about the '24-'25 school year! One of the most important considerations for many of our families is that of financial aid. In the world of financial aid, applying early is always best. If your family will be interested in financial aid for the '24-'25 year, please go to the GSFS Financial Aid page to learn more and apply. If you have questions, please email Leanne Clancy.

Our friends at Friends Council on Education are conducting a survey, and need our help:

Please consider participating in FCE's Value, Impact, Communications, and Sustainability Survey. Did you know that FCE is the only national association of 76 Quaker schools in our country? Friends Council's role is to both bring schools together to share resources and best practices, and to distribute programming and resources to schools as needed. Your feedback in this anonymous survey will help them learn what resources our community values most and will also help identify ways that they can improve in support of our school and the other 75 Friends schools they serve, nationwide. Click here to participate, the survey closes after December 15.

• The holidays are approaching, and we want to encourage everyone to shop local! The PCA is compiling a GSFS Business Resource List to help GSFS families get to know one another and support local businesses and organizations, particularly in light of the approaching holidays. If you would like to add your business, workplace, or organization to this directory, please complete this form.

• The PCA, in collaboration with Leanne and the Office of Admissions, has created a team of "Admissions Ambassadors," made up of parents and caregivers, to support the work of the Admissions Office, and help bring new families into our community. We need your help! Please email Vicky Gardner-Mims to learn more, and get involved.

• The next CARES gathering of the year will be a Cultural Exchange Potluck on Saturday, December 16, 2024 @4pm. RSVP HERE.

• The next PCA meeting of the year will be on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 @6:00pm-7:30pm.

PCA Leadership Team

Aisha Moore

Seth Taft

Lauren Fleer

Vicky Gardner-Mims

Rebecca Gadsen

Chris Downs

GSFS Liaison to the PCA: Maani Waldoor

RESOURCES:

• 2023-2024 PCA & CARES MEETINGS AND EVENTS CALENDAR

• LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PCA

• LEARN MORE ABOUT CARES

• EMAIL PCA LEADERSHIP

• EMAIL CARES LEADERSHIP

• Deadline to order 2024 Pizza Wednesday: Friday, December 15, 2023. Register HERE.

• CARES Potluck: Saturday, December 16, 2023 @4pm.

• Middle School Spirit Week: December 18-22, 2023.

• Deadline to register for ASP Winter Clubs: Tuesday, December 19, 2023. Register HERE.

• Winter Concerts: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 @9:00-10:00am (Pre-K-2nd) & Thursday, December 21, 2023 @7:00-8:00pm (3rd-8th).

• GSFS Closed for Winter Break: Monday, December 25, 2023 - Friday, January 5, 2024. Classes resume Monday, January 8, 2024.

Calendar Resources:

• GSFS Calendar Page
• PDF of 23-24 Calendar Highlights