Contents

Letters
• Head of School
• Board President
• Admission
• Dir. of Diversity

Meet the Staff
• New Faculty/Staff
• LRP Bios

Annual Fund
• Thank You

SFDS Summer
• Programs
• Facilities

PA News
• PA Pres. Letter
• Editor Letter
• PA FAQs
• SFDS 411
• Room Parents
• LINC

What's Happening
• Sept. Events
• 2008-09 Events

Classifieds
Lunch Menu

Week Ahead,
August 31 - Sept. 6

SFDS eNews Homepage

Dear Fellow Parents,

No doubt flip flops are a great summer shoe. But with the same poise Mr. Rogers exhibited upon exiting his Neighborhood, the time has come for each of us to put on a more practical pair.

For many returning families, the change will be painless because San Francisco Day School, in and of itself, is like slipping into your favorite dress shoe.  As for new families, you’ll be glad to know that the School’s staff and parent volunteers are committed to making your assimilation as easy as breaking in a pair of fine Italian loafers.

Okay, enough with the shoe analogy.  Suffice it to say, the comfort level of new families is a top priority for the Parents Association.  In fact, this month’s PA News highlights the group’s Liaison Inspiring New Community (LINC) committee, which matches veteran SFDS families with incoming families as part of a program considered vital to creating a welcoming community.

LINC is just one of several committees the Parents Association utilizes to connect families, educate parents, and support volunteer activities.  The scope of the Parents Association’s work and the people involved touch every corner of the School.

As editor and writer, it is my goal to shine a premiere-sized spotlight on those corners:  the volunteers, committees, educational programs, grade-specific outings, parent workshops adjunct opportunities for children, such as the Girl Scouts, etc.  Luckily, I will have help in this task because the PA News will feature voices besides my own.  For example, committee chairs will write letters describing the work of their respective committees.

In essence, the PA News will tell the Parents Association’s story.  But more than a static tale, the PA News should be viewed as an invitation to help steer the plot.  Each article will be a call to volunteer, to learn from one another and to connect with people in an effort to fulfill the Association’s broader mission of building an inclusive community.

Speaking of invitations, please read about SFDS 411, the on-line network open to SFDS parents who want to discuss a wide-range of parenting issues as well as tackle the daily business of school life – organizing carpools, recruiting volunteers, etc.  While the item is presented in a whimsical manner, SFDS 411 is a serious undertaking.  It is the hope that every parent signs up.

Also, if you missed past announcements about the new Room Parent Council, don’t miss the one in this issue!  Discover how these diligent volunteers serve the School as communications liaisons between parents and the administration.

In closing, I’d like you to know how excited I am to start the new school year.  My oldest daughter begins life as a third grader while her sister enters as a wide-eyed kindergartener.  To me, the back-to-school period has a New Year’s Day quality about it.  It’s filled with possibilities.  I find myself making resolutions.  Some are mundane like promising to pack lunches the night before, arrive in the morning before the drive-thru cones disappear and schedule numerous play dates.  Others are noble, such as my promise to get involved, to help steer the plot as I said.

I don’t know which resolutions I’ll keep; but one thing is certain… I’ll start the school year by putting my best foot forward!

Mary Kay Melvin
PA News Editor

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