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Family Picnic

Families contributed all sorts of delicious treats and goodies for this year’s family picnic.  Everyone gathered on the rooftop for a potluck, games and fun.  This year, the SF weather graciously cooperated, and everyone was able to enjoy food and games while basking in the sunshine.  Sixth graders showed off their creativity with imaginative games like a cakewalk, make-over station and basketball challenge.  For the little ones, the Bouncy Castle was back and as always, a huge hit.

Library Party

In light of our 30^th anniversary, this year’s Library Party was even bigger and better than last year!  And of course, what is a library party without tons of books?  Once again SFDS partnered with Books, Inc., who had staff on hand to advise browsing customers and process book purchases.  SFDS apparel and accessories were on sale morning, noon and night.  The teacher wish list was also brought back for its third year.  Teachers were able to select books for themselves or their classrooms – it provided not only a way to show support for your teacher or grade, but it also added a personal window into teachers’ interests outside of the classroom. In addition to our wonderful author’s breakfast, we had the fortune of welcoming three more celebrated authors to SFDS for readings and book signings:

• Mark Hertsgaard: Journalist, broadcaster and SFDS parent presented his new book, Hot: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth
• George Anders: Pulitzer Prize-winning financial journalist presented his new book, The Rare Find
• Carol Field: Notable author presented her award-winning classic, The Italian Baker

In addition to the book readings, the Parent Group on Diversity hosted “One Community, Many Stories.”  Community members shared their favorite books and stories in the library, captivating the children and adults in the audience.  Many thanks to those who volunteered to be our first storytellers:

• David Jackson, Head of School
• Corinne Corrigan, SFDS Parent
• Renee Otero, Librarian
• Grace Won, SFDS Parent
• Philip Dah, SFDS Parent
• Nicole Krassner, SFDS Parent

*For an excerpt of one of our amazing storytellers, click here:  Philip Dah, Storyteller (Thank you to Susan Wilkens for taking videos!)

Author’s Breakfast…an SFDS tradition

New York Times best-selling author and SFDS parent, Carol Edgarian, presented her newest book, Three Stages of Amazement. Following a heartfelt introduction from SFDS teacher (and author of the SFDS 30^th Anniversary book) Lisa Busby, Carol shared a reading and spoke to the audience about her experience.  Her recent bestseller has garnered much praise from press, and New York Times reviewer Janet Maslin said, “Three Stages of Amazement is a fiery, deeply involving book with an eccentric streak that keeps it constantly surprising…”

In addition to Three Stages of Amazement, Carol has written an international bestseller Rise the Euphrates, hailed by the Washington Post as “a book whose generosity of spirit, intelligence, humanity, and finally ambition are what literature ought to be and rarely is today.” Rise The Euphrates was awarded the ANC Freedom Prize.

We were honored and grateful for Carol’s gracious appearance, and look forward to her next endeavor.  A huge thank you also goes to our volunteers for their time spent to transform our library into a warm and lovely venue for the breakfast.  Thank you also to Woodward Gardens, for generously providing a delicious breakfast for the event.

On Tuesday, October 25th, stargazers and scientists alike came to SFDS to check out Science Night.  The evening was jam-packed with exciting activities exploring constellations, celestial observations, meteors, black holes and more.  Students hosted different stations and led visitors through hands-on demonstrations, such as the “Make a Comet” station (see below).  If dry ice isn’t your thing, there was also an amazing stardome for children of all ages.  Up on the roof, visitors could check out constellations and observe the night sky, with a cup of hot cocoa in hand.

It was definitely a fantastic family event, and we thank all of the volunteers who helped make it happen.  Check out photos here:

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For those who couldn’t make it out, here are the instructions to make a comet (children, of course, should be supervised by an adult and should not experiment alone):

Ingredients to Make a Three-Inch Comet
1 cup of water
1 cup of dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide)
1 big spoonful of sand or dirt
a dash of ammonia
a dash of organic material (dark corn syrup)

The other materials that you will need are:
A large mixing bowl lined with a garbage bag
Work gloves
A large mixing spoon
Paper towels
Safety Goggles – these are very important; don’t forget!

Procedure:
1. Put on work gloves and safety goggles (Do NOT skip this step!)
2. Pour water into mixing bowl
3. Add sand or dirt, mixing well.
4. Add dash of ammonia.
5. Add dash of organic material (e.g., corn syrup), stirring until well mixed.
6. Add the crushed dry ice to the rest of the ingredients in the mixing bowl while stirring vigorously.
7. Continue stirring until mixture is almost totally frozen.
8. Lift the comet out of the bowl using the plastic liner and shape it as you would a snowball.
9. Unwrap the comet as soon as it is frozen sufficiently to hold its shape.
10. Marvel at the wonder of your incredible comet!

In their introductory meeting, the buddies got to know each other by sharing hobbies and activities they enjoy.  The buddy pairs and groups will meet periodically throughout the year, and work together on art, service learning and other cooperative projects.   Last week, they agreed on how to greet each other (some with handshakes, others with hugs) and many buddies chose to end their meeting by reading a book together.

Enjoy the cuteness!

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