Virtual Red Folder
December 17, 2021
The Show Must Go On!
This spring marks the 18th annual PMFS Circus! The circus has grown into a celebratory spring tradition that brings our community together for a weekend of circus folly and joy. Pod 3/4 has been learning circus skills, the value of perseverance, and the importance of communication for upcoming show, set for March 12-13. We’ll share more details about the performance after Winter Break. If you see a child unicycling in your neighborhood before then, wish them well!
Practicing the Skill of “Not Thinking”
This week in 4th Grade Drama, students practiced the skill of “not thinking” by playing an improvisational game called “I Say You Say”. In “I Say You Say”, the class forms a line and, one-by-one, students are given a word to which they respond with the first word that comes to mind. This helps students get out of thinking and into the moment, which helps cultivate real emotional reactions, expression and vulnerability in performance.
Meet the New Music Teacher
Alyssa Resh
Alyssa Resh has wanted to be a music teacher since high school. After starting piano and guitar lessons at age 6, she quickly discovered a love for music while performing with her church’s worship band. In her school’s music program, she decided to play the violin and the oboe, but later switched to percussion after getting braces. Percussion has been her primary instrument ever since, and has been her focus now for 16 years.
Alyssa got her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Percussion Performance from West Chester University, where she participated in the symphony orchestra, the wind ensemble, the Latin jazz ensemble, the steel pan orchestra, the percussion ensemble, and various choirs. She also performed numerous solo and duo concerts, specifically focusing on contemporary music. During this time she was also teaching local marching bands, student teaching, and giving private lessons. She later attended Temple University to get her Master’s in Percussion Performance, where she studied with legendary percussionist Alan Abel, who was the associate principal percussionist of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1959 to 1997. She graduated from Temple in 2019.
Since then, Alyssa has been doing a variety of freelance gigging and teaching in Philadelphia. She currently performs with local orchestras and new music ensembles, and she also plays drum set in two bands – Lizdelise and the Goalie. She has worked as a teaching artist for a number of local non-profits, teaching everything from general music classes to songwriting workshops. Her passion lies in elementary music, which allows her to be silly, creative, and exploratory (and stay young at heart!). She loves bluegrass, dancing, her two cats, and bubble tea. Her favorite musical activity lately has been listening to a record on vinyl from front to back, reading the lyrics and liner notes without any other distractions. She is so excited to join the amazing community at PMFS, and can’t wait to make lots of noise with the students!
Testing to begin on January 6
PMFS will begin weekly COVID testing of students and staff on Thursday January 6, after we return from Winter Break. Please see the email from Brenda sent home today with details on next steps for parents.
Important Deadline Approaching
Please Share your Child’s Covid Vaccination Status
Parents have been sharing with us that their children are being vaccinated, and we’ve received quite a few “high-fives” on the playground from students proudly announcing that they received one or both shots. We’d like to request that parents please let us know your child’s covid vaccination status by emailing a copy of their vaccination card to Kali in the office. Complete and accurate information about the children in our community will help us as we move forward into the spring.
New Families: Save the Date!
Parent Coffee for New Families in a New Year: Join Head of School Brenda for a chance to connect with other parents and discuss your and your child’s experience at PMFS so far, on Tuesday, January 11, 8-9am.
NB: We will ask for RSVPs for this event when we return in January, so that we can make the best choices for the location of this Coffee.
Help Raise Money for PMFS this Holiday Season
Passive fundraising is a great way to raise money for school when buying things you already planned to purchase.
NEW! Shutterfly Earn money for school while ordering cards, photos, gifts and more. You can still use coupons! School gets 8% back when you shop through this link.
TRIED AND TRUE! Amazon Smile Support PMFS every time you shop at no additional cost: 0.5% of the purchase price comes back to school! Go to smile.amazon.com and select Plymouth Meeting Friends School as your charity of choice.
Share this information with your friends, family and co-workers; the more people who participate, the more PMFS earns. Thanks so much for helping support our school.
Happy Holidays from Kirk!
It’s hard to believe it’s already been a little over six weeks since my departure on Halloween, and so much has happened for all of us since then! We are finally getting settled here in Colorado, about 25 minutes up the canyon from Boulder in a delightfully funky little mountain town at 8,236 ft above sea level. No major snow yet, but we were blessed with the good omen of a few inches of fresh powder on our very first night here!
How Can I Honor PMFS Teachers?
Despite the many challenges of the past year, Plymouth teachers have provided the support our students need and have shared immeasurable gifts of compassion and academic excellence. We invite you to honor our amazing PMFS faculty by making a tax-deductible donation to the 2021/2022 Annual Giving Fund during this holiday season. Please know that Annual Giving is the foundation of all fundraising efforts at PMFS and directly benefits every PMFS student.
It is always the right time to support teachers, but even more meaningful when we take a moment to appreciate our blessings and think about what is really important in life. You know PMFS and our learning community. What is more important than the education of children?
Please join others who have already made a gift and make a donation to the Annual Giving Fund today. Every gift makes a difference and is appreciated.
It is easy to make a donation. You can do it on our website here.
Contact the Development Office at 610.828.2288 or by email at ralphh@pmfs1780.org or lindam@pmfs1780.org with any questions.
Wishing you and yours a meaningful holiday season,
Ralph Henninger and Linda Metzler
Development Office
Upcoming @PMFS
Monday, December 20 through Friday, December 31 – No School
Winter Break
Vacation Care offered 12/20 – 12/22 and 12/27
Monday, January 3
Classes Resume
Thursday, January 6
Weekly Covid-19 Testing Begins
Friday, January 7
Tuition Assistance Applications Due
Tuesday, January 11
Parent Coffee – New Family Check In
Want more info on happenings at school?
Subscribe to the PMFS Public Calendar at pmfs1780.org/calendar.
Take a look at the 2021-22 At-a-Glance Calendar.
Quick Links
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Get spiritwear at the PMFS Online Store
Order lunch for your child at www.yaylunch.com (order by Saturday at midnight)
Make a credit card payment to PMFS
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Designate PMFS as your charity of choice at AmazonSmile and .5% of your purchase gets donated to us
