Tibetan Monks Visit SFS This Week!
From Wednesday, December 1st through Friday, December 3rd, we are incredibly fortunate to have five Tibetan monks on campus. They live at the Drepung Loseling Phukhang Monastery in India and they are touring the U.S. this month to “touch people with universal compassion.” On Wednesday morning at 9:30 AM, the monks will perform a version of their 2500 year old ceremony during which they will bless our school. They will be introduced by 3rd grade Head Teacher Laura Burges, who was honored for her Buddhist practice in a Lay Entrustment Ceremony in 2009.
For three days the monks will be in our school’s Activity Room constructing an intricately designed Sand Mandala. The Sand Mandala has become one of the emblems associated with Tibet, constructed with the motivation of bringing about world peace. On Friday, the monks will conduct a Closing Ceremony at 1:45 PM. At this time, the monks will sweep the sand mandala away, symbolizing the key concept of Impermanence – that all phenomena have a beginning, middle, and end.
Parents and other guests are welcome and encouraged to park legally and drop in from 10 AM to 3 PM on Wednesday, Thursday, and/or Friday to watch the monks at work on the sand mandala, take pictures, and ask questions of the monk's interpreter, Tenzin Sherab. Donations will be accepted, but not directly requested, to support the ongoing work of the monks and the monastery.
Finally, we are most grateful to SFS grandparents, Anne and Russell Fernald, Mirabel (1st) and Jasper (3 South), for sponsoring the monks and bringing them to the school.
Cultural Kitchen Ushers in Hanukkah!
SFS parents Emily (Sam, 4 South) and Amy (Alexander, 4th, Maitlynne, 2nd and Teddy, 3 South), along with Amy’s mother, will be cooking a latke lunch for our Hanukkah Cultural Kitchen tomorrow with Patty and Jane. Along with the latkes, each preschool and elementary student will receive gelt (chocolate coins) and dreidels (with playing instructions). Amy and Emily will be visiting several classes to explain the meaning and traditions surrounding Hanukkah, and to teach students how to play dreidel. Happy Hanukkah!
Scrip Orders Due Friday
Scrip is an easy and convenient way to support SFS while grocery shopping – at no additional cost to you (See the 9/14 TNH for more details). Last year we earned over $2,000 from the SFS community’s participation in the Scrip Program, and we are hoping to continue that level of participation this year. Place an order for Rainbow, Goodlife and Canyon Market scrip by the end of the day, this Friday, December 3rd. Order forms can be found in the scrip envelope on the parent bulletin board, or by clicking here! (This form can also be found at http://www.sfschool.org/giving/index.shtml under “Helpful Documents”). Please contact egarlock@sfschool.org with any questions.
Middle School Winter Dance
The SFS Student Council will be sponsoring a Winter Dance on Friday, December 10th from 7 – 9:30 PM in the SFS Activity Room. Snacks will be provided. Each Middle School student is allowed to "invite a friend". All non-SFS students must provide a completed and signed permission slip (only 1 permission slip will be provided per student). There will be two adults from each grade and two teachers chaperoning. Admission is $5 for SFS students and $5 for invited friends (who must have completed and signed permission slips). The dance is
only for middle school students. If you have any questions, please email Richard, (rteerlink97@gmail.com), SFS Student Council Scribe, or Coach Tiffany (tfong@sfschool.org).
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