100th Day of School and more!

We celebrated the 100th day of school with the SK girls who came over to serenade "big chapel" with their songs, and the little girls soon to be flowergirls at graduation also got matched up with their big-girl-seniors!
But that's not all! We also continued the celebration of Mary Davis' 100th birthday. Mrs. Shaw introduced this school matriarch to the students recounting Mary's storied life, and she read a proclamation from the governor of Tennessee officially marking Mary's birthday (actually last Thursday) as Mary Davis Day in Tennessee. What a life!

What happens in FCD, stays in FCD

I'd love to tell you about the conversation between our 9th, 10th, and 11th graders with our representative from "Freedom from Chemical Dependency," but ... No teachers get to stay and listen! I'm sure it was wonderful!

Mu Alpha Theta Inductions

It's a day to honor not just our math scholars, but also to celebrate the comedic turn that advanced math offers. Seniors explained the history and requirements of the Mu Alpha Theta society, and they offered a few jokes along the way. (Most of the humor went over the head of your dear-blogger, I never made it to Pre-Cal.)
With laughter and admiration, the mathmatically gifted among us were honored this day.

The Very Rev. Andy Andrews

From our sister institution, Dean Andrews joined us today. Before sharing his "princess story," Andy asked us all to place our feet squarely on the floor, to lift our hands and then place them on our knees, to sit up straight and take a deeeeeeeeep breath. In. Out. In. Out.
Then the story of the princess unfolded. She faced the torture of the world telling her she was not a wondrous creation, but she held on to the truth: she was wonderfully made and beloved. Andy sent us all out to live as "groovy" princesses ourselves (and a few princes too), remembering that we are beautiful and beloved creatures and a gift to the world.

Alumnae Chapel

We welcomed Gwyn Fisher, class of 1996 today. Gwyn is the executive director of MPact Memphis an organization tasked with engaging and empowering the local young, professional community to make a difference in Memphis. Gwyn's journey has taken her around the world and "back home," and she shared her passion for making Memphis the kind of city that we'd all be glad to come home to ...

Epiphany

So, we missed Epiphany which is sad because it is such a wonderful and important celebration to Christians around the world. (But not too sad because snow days are wonderful!) I'd like to think about "guiding stars" and what words and ideas and images and values guide us forward ...
Having "pre-planted" stars with various virtues around the chapel pews, I asked the girls to find them and then stand up and shout out:
Compassion, honesty, generosity, joyfulness, enthusiasm, love, faithfulness, sincerity, and more. Choose a word that might define the road ahead for you.

Margins

Susan Snodgrass spoke about margins in the wake of a wonderful snow day. She reminded all of us that we need free space in our lives, like the edges of a piece of paper where we do not write. Time and space for new things to have room enough to grow. Rest for our bodies and roaming time for our thoughts.

But the Mayor told us that Ds are GOOD!

After sharing his personal stories of overcoming intrinsic racial prejudice, Memphis City Mayor AC Wharton challenged all of to see that success is possible when we have a dream and that support to achieve those dreams can come at unlikely time and from unexpected sources. The Mayor was invited as our third Student Council guest speaker.

Oh, and those "Good Ds?"
Dream, Desire, Drive, Determination, Detours and Destination!

Still Christmas

... And we sang all the Christmas hymns this morning! Thanks to the talented Mr. Palmer for playing our all-request-hymn-sing.

First Days

Well, I didn't figure out what went wrong at the end of the semester. I know that part of it was a lack of attention on my part, but I can't explain the vanishing posts!

We started today with an a capella version of "Seek Ye First" and a conversation about the game of hide and seek. We heard a version of an old Jewish folk tale in which a little boy sob to his grandfather that his friends stopped looking for him. His grandfather replies that God is also sad because we have stopped looking for God in our world.

Perhaps a good way to begin the year is with our eyes peeled for God.

"Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; call upon him when he draws near." Isaiah.