Calling All Graduated Parents!
Feeling bereft now that your last child has graduated from Sidwell Friends? Dismayed to think that you may never have another conversation with the parents with whom you carpooled, cheered from the sidelines of game, or applauded after a spectacular performance? Your connection with each other and with the School community has not been dropped. You are a Graduated Parent, and we have plans for you!
Save the Date: 2013 Winter Speaker Series
8th Annual Winter Speaker Series
Same-sex marriage: from where we have come to where we are going
A conversation about the two upcoming Supreme Court cases that will be argued on March 26 and 27: Hollingsworth v. Perry, dealing with California's ban on gay marriage, and United States v. Windsor, dealing with the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
Adam Liptak, Esq.
Supreme Court correspondent for the New York Times and author of the New York Times “Sidebar” column since 2007
Paul Smith, Esq.
Chair of the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group of Jenner & Block; Mr. Smith has argued 14 Supreme Court cases, including the landmark gay rights case Lawrence v. Texas in 2003.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
7:00 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. Panel Discussion
Robert L. Smith Meeting Room
Please RSVP by March 8, 2013, to graduatedparents@sidwell.edu.
The Past Year: 2011-2012
Last year, a record number of Graduated Parents participated in events organized for them on the school campus.
In November, the school’s annual reception for Graduated Parents with Head of School Tom Farquhar was held in the new Athletic Center.
In March, we held our 7th annual winter speaker event for the first time in the wonderful space provided by the new meeting room. “Money in Politics” was discussed in panel form with Harold Ickes ’57, Consultant, The Ickes & Enright Group; Cleta Mitchell, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP; and Seth Waxman, Partner, WilmerHale. Al Hunt, executive Washington editor for Bloomberg News, moderated. More than 200 Graduated Parents and friends gathered in the new Robert L. Smith Meeting Room for this evening of spirited debate and civil discourse, followed by a reception.
Once again, Graduated Parents hosted the traditional Reunion Coffee on the Saturday morning of Reunion Weekend for all Graduated Parents, alumni from this year’s reunion classes, 2002 and 2007, as well as their parents. (To see photos from these and other events, click on “photos” in the right hand column that will take you to our photo gallery.)
We look forward to seeing you this coming year at events planned for Graduated Parents. Watch this page for news of upcoming events.
And in the meantime, we invite you to join the fun!
It's been eight years since the idea for the SFS Graduated Parents was born, and we are proud to say that we are now part of the life and spirit of the school in so many active and creative ways. What's more, our group has become a model for other schools, both local and around the country. We all have much to be proud of, but to keep the momentum going, we truly need some additional assistance from YOU!
We know it's hard to know what there is to do and to figure out where and how to pitch in, so here are the activities we would welcome your help with. If you see something you like, just shoot an email to the contact person listed:
- Arts - Join Stacy Yochum (yochum.harp@comcast.net) to get the word out to other GPs about all the theater, music, and fine arts events on campus, including the Alumni Variety Show, which just celebrated its 10th year!
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Food - Lend a hand to Sara Jones (Sara_Jones@legal.senate.gov) to organize all the great food and wine everyone enjoys at our events!
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Next-to-New Sale - Join Helen Pearson (pearson.helena@gmail.com) in the fall as dozens of second-hand-sale enthusiasts organize the best rummage sale in town!
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New GPs - Consider becoming the liaison to the new crop of GPs who join our ranks each year! (ShelleyRobinson: shelleygr@verizon.net)
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Expand our Outreach - Join Sandey Goodbody (goodbody@crosslink.net) in reaching out to beloved faculty emeriti, past members of the Board of Trustees, current faculty and staff, and alumni to include them in GP activities!
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Speaker Night - Don your thinking cap and help plan the most popular of the GP events: The Winter Speaker Night! (shelleygr@verizon.net)
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Community Service - Pitch in with David Connell and encourage GPs to participate in all-school community service events! (shelleygr@verizon.net)
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Gardens - Be part of a new group to advise the school on the developing natural, native plantings on campus! (pearson.helena@gmail.com)
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Publicity - Help Gretchen Smith-Mui (lrgsm83@aol.com) spread the word about the GPs and our activities by writing pieces for the Alumni Magazine and the Horizon and sharing your camera skills to catch the fun on film!
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GP Website - Strut your technical expertise and manage the GP web page! (Sudi Press: spress@hardpressed.org)
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Book Club - Join the SFS Book Club (contact Jessie Jacobson at GraduatedParents@sidwell.edu)
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Yoga - Organize a yoga class specially for GPs (pearson.helena@gmail.com)
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New Ideas - Think up a great NEW activity and get the ball rolling . . . ! (shelleygr@verizon.net)
Whatever you'd like to do, we will welcome you with open--and very grateful--arms!
For more information