PARENTS E-NEWS December 2014

Dear Church Farm School community, We are in the process of putting together a "Family Directory" that would give you access (behind a login on the Parents section of our website) to the contact information of other CFS parents and caregivers. Families have said the directory would be helpful for connecting with other parents, especially in seeking out people who may live in the same area for carpooling, etc. Please take 10 seconds to fill out the survey here and indicate your interest in having your information published in the directory, and which information we are allowed to provide to other CFS families. Thanks in advance for your participation. We hope to have the directory published in January. Sincerely, Chris Seeley, Director of Academics and Assistant Head of School cseeley@gocfs.net

Cottage Decorating Contest and Progressive Dinner Plus Other Upcoming Events

On Saturday, December 13th, CFS will hold its annual Cottage Decorating Contest and Progressive Dinner. Each cottage has a $50 spending limit for decorations, but donations and borrowed items from parents are welcomed. While our fabulous caterers Sodexo will supply food for each cottage for the Progressive Dinner that evening, treats supplied by CFS families are also appreciated. Questions? Contact Brian Serbin, Director of Residential Life, at bserbin@gocfs.net. Upcoming dates of note:

Friday, December 12 at 12:00 p.m.: Faculty and Staff Luncheon (see story below) Friday, December 12 - Sunday, December 14: All School Weekend Friday, December 12 at 8:00 p.m.: Christmas Pageant Why the Chimes Rang Saturday, December 13 at 9:00 a.m.: Admission Open House Saturday, December 13: ACT Exams at Henderson High School Saturday, December 13: Cottage Decorating Contest and Progressive Dinner Sunday, December 14 at 3:00 p.m.:Christmas Pageant Why the Chimes Rang Tuesday, December 16 at 10:40 a.m.: Lessons and Carols Service Friday, December 19 (noon dismissal) - Monday, January 4: Christmas vacation (school

resumes Tuesday, January 5) Friday, January 16: Second Marking Period Ends Monday, January 19: Admission Open House Monday, January 26 at 5:30 p.m.: CFS Parents' Association Meeting (Guest Speaker: Brian

Serbin, Director of Residential Life)

Find out what's happening any time at

www.gocfs.net/CFS-calendar!

Note: Please contact the Parent Association at CFSPA@gocfs.net if your son may have picked up a gray Steve Harvey sport coat, size 44 short, from the CFSPA Hospitality Suite during Parents' Weekend.

Reminder: Faculty and Staff Luncheon On December 12th, the CFS Parents' Association will be hosting a Faculty and Staff Appreciation Pot Luck Luncheon to show its gratitude for the dedication of the wonderful individuals at CFS who do so much for our young men. To contribute either a dish or money toward the Luncheon, please contact Lily Knezevich at lknezevich@lsac.org. Items (including refrigerated items) can be dropped off on Thursday, December 11 at the Dining Center with a CFSPA sign on them.

Faculty Profile: Zachary Roberts Zach Roberts joined Church Farm School in 2011 as a cottage parent, and currently serves as the head parent in Garrett Cottage. He also supports development activities, directs the cottage prefect program and is the senior class grade-level leader. Q: What's your role as head of house? In the course of any given week, I am teacher, parent, friend, mentor, event planner, counselor, host, tutor, chauffeur and decorator. Living with 18 high school boys means I get to experience life with them and through them while getting to guide them along

the way. The most rewarding part comes with the level of trust that they place in me. I'm always amazed at how thoroughly my students trust me to do my best so that in turn I can help them be their best. Q: What's life like on a daily basis in Garrett? Garrett is a very homey place to be on any given day. I make a concerted effort for there to be smells of home-be they cider or pine for Christmastime or lavender for spring. Despite all the work that I've put into making Garrett Cottage a comfortable, physical living space for student and adult alike, it is, without a doubt, the people who make it a home. These young men understand their responsibilities

and handle them without a lot of direction from the cottage parents. They help each other in the hard times and celebrate with each other in the victorious times. Q: Favorite Garrett traditions? Special events in Garrett are always highly anticipated. Small things, like "Cider Sundays"-served throughout the months of December and January on Sunday evenings-make the cottage smell nice and provide a hot drink for those who are coming back to Garrett from their weekend travels. However, it's the big things-Christmas decorations, White Elephant Parties and scavenger hunts-that Garrett students look forward to the most. Thanks to my 18 students, my colleagues who also work in Garrett (Mr. Robert Warfel, Mr. Eric Fulmer, Ms. Rabi Gardner and Mr. Chris Gramlich) and my prefects (Awes Choudary and Khizar Qureshi), I couldn't ask for a better cottage!

Ced Moise Receives Full Scholarship to Princeton University Through QuestBridge Scholars Program

In October, three Church Farm School seniors were nominated as finalists for the QuestBridge Scholars program: Ced Moise, Mohammed Bappe and Steve Yuh. QuestBridge's mission is to "connect the world's brightest low-income students to America's best universities and opportunities." On December 1, Ced Moise received notice that QuestBridge will be providing him with a full academic scholarship to Princeton University, which accepted him via early decision. According to Tiffany Scott, CFS Director of College Guidance, "QuestBridge finalists exhibit high potential to be matched to a college, with

specific consideration toward high academic achievement and a qualifying financial background. The likelihood is high that Bappe and Steve will also be considered for significant financial aid at leading colleges and universities. We are so proud of how hard these boys are working toward their college dreams!" Congratulations to Ced and the entire Moise family! According to a QuestBridge press

release, finalists (such as Bappe and Steven) can still gain acceptance and generous financial aid through the regular decision process. Good luck, guys!

Choir Members Secure District Chorus Spots On November 22, five members of the Church Farm School choir auditioned individually for spots in the District Chorus Festival to be held on January 22-24 at Immaculata University. The students competed against singers from 35 public and private schools in Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia counties in the hopes of securing a spot in the top 20 of their respective voice part [typically anywhere from 35-45 audition on a part]. Congrats to the following students, who all earned spots in the Festival!

Charles Guo, Tenor 2: 11th

Edward Kim, Bass 1: 14th Steven Yuh, Tenor 2: 3rd Daniel Shipman, Bass 1: 16th Dong Whui Kim, Bass 2: 19th

Also, based on his placement last year at the All State Festival (4th Chair), Yuh was accepted to participate in 2015 NafME (National Association for Music Education) All-Eastern Honors Ensembles this coming April in Providence, RI, with just 810 students selected from Maryland to Maine.

Magical Day of Giving a Record Success

Church Farm School held its fourth annual "Magical Day of Giving" in conjunction with #givingtuesday on December 2. Organized by cottage faculty member Zachary Roberts, the event benefits Angel Tree, a faith-based organization that supports children with parents in prison. The one-day giving event pits the school's 10 cottages against each other in competition. Faculty and staff can donate to any cottage of their choosing or equally split their support. The winning cottage gets a pizza party, and of course, the pride that comes with giving back. This year, CFS raised $1,573.60 for Angel Tree. Coupled with the organization's 100% matching gift, the total donation is $3,147.20. Congrats to the top three fundraising cottages! Garrett Cottage: $267.46 Taylor Cottage: $229.40 Catherwood Cottage: $228.94

Athletics Winter athletics have begun! Keep up with the schedules for basketball, wrestling, winter track and bowling via Schedule Star, subscribing to Greg Thompson's "This Week in Athletics" email bulletin at gthompson@gocfs.net or following @CFSAthletics on Twitter.

Admission Open House

Admission Open Houses are planned for Saturday, December 13, 2014 and Monday, January 19, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Most CFS students are here because another family told them about the school. Help us spread the word! Interested parties may register online or contact Director of Admission Brandon Zeigler at bzeigler@gocfs.net or 610.363.5346.

Annual Fund The 2014-2015 CFS Annual Fund drive is underway and we are looking for increased rates of participation among our parents and friends. Income from tuition covers less than 10% of our annual operating expenses. Contact Director of Development Peter Corrado at pcorrado@gocfs.net or you can make your gift online at www.gocfs.net/give.

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CFS Floats STEAM Event

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