The Middle School and Upper School Parent/Faculty Nights have been rescheduled as follows:

Middle School Parent/Faculty Night
Tuesday, January 31, 7:00-8:30 p.m., NWS Commons

Upper School Parent/Faculty Night
Wednesday, February 1, 7:00-8:30 p.m., NWS Commons

We are working to reschedule all events cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. We will notify the NWS community of these new dates and times as soon as possible. Please check our website and all-school calendar for more information on specific events. 

Please join us this weekend for a New Year's celebration with dumplings, ping pong, karaoke, and more!

Where: The Northwest School
When: Sunday, January 22, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Who: International Students and their Families, Host Families, Chinese Language Students, Dorm Students and Teachers

RSVP to Amy Berner-Hays and please let her know if you are interested in helping to make dumplings or if you want to bring some food to share.

Join us for Unity (1918) and let NWS students take you on an unforgettable journey that is funny and touching, romantic and tragic. This production follows the small town of Unity as they cope with the ravages of WWI and the increasing danger of the flu epidemic. 

The play is directed by Ellen Graham with original music by Sulo Turner. The set is designed by Bill Johns, and built by his Technical Theater class, with lights by Emma Wolf-Saxon.

This play will be presented off-campus at the Eve Alvord Theater at Seattle Children's Theater. Tickets may be purchased here. Performances are January 26-28, at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, January 29, at 2:00 p.m.

If you are interested in ordering a DVD of this or other arts performances from this year, please email Robynn Polansky.

Please note that Friday, February 3 is the deadline for all returning families to submit applications for financial aid for 2012-2013. If your family is not currently receiving financial aid, but you wish to be considered for financial aid for next school year, please email Jonathan Hochberg, Director of Financial Aid, or call 206-816-6210.

On Wednesday, January 25, we will be taking all middle schoolers to Imperial Lanes for an afternoon of bowling. (Any rumors to the contrary, that we would be going roller skating in Lynnwood can be put to rest.) We will leave school at 12:20 p.m., and return at 3 p.m. This is 15 minutes later than usual for 6th graders, and 30 minutes earlier for 7th and 8th graders. Please note the time in your calendars. Students do not need money, but do need to be wearing socks.

Every March for more than 23 years we have welcomed students from Kamimura Gakuen School in Ichikikushikino, Japan into The Northwest School Community. For this group of rising 10th graders, visiting Seattle and attending Northwest launches their studies in Kamimura’s intensive English language program.

In this final year of the program, NWS invites all families to participate by hosting a student.

Responsibilities include:

• 4 weeks of hosting from Friday, March 2, through Sunday, April 1 (2 week option available)
• Willingness to incorporate your student into daily routine and family activities
• Facilitating transportation to and from NWS

In addition to the gift of intercultural exchange and lifelong connections, there is a $400 stipend for hosting.

An Host Family Information Session will be held on Monday, January 23 at 7:00 p.m. for families interested in learning more; RSVP required.

Please contact Amber Croyle, or call 206-816-6202 to RSVP or for more information.

NWS, in partnership with Parent Trust of Washington, will be hosting a 1 ½ hour SMART (Stress Management And Relaxation Training) Workshop at NWS, on Tuesday, January 31. Open to Upper School students only, the workshop is designed to facilitate the learning of healthy coping strategies for stress management. The workshop will run from 3:45-5:15 p.m., the location is to be determined. Space is limited to 30 students, please RSVP to Megan Reibel.

"Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll—and Other Things That Go Bump in the Night," featuring Julie Metzger RN, MSN and Rob Lehman, MD

January 25, 2012
6:30-8:30 p.m.
NWS Commons

As parents, it can be difficult to know how to communicate with our children about sex, sexuality and other high-risk behaviors. What information do our kids need to make smart decisions and form healthy relationships? What are the right questions to ask? How can we assess the risk and create a partnership of trust and respect? Julie Metzger and Rob Lehman, co-founders of Great Conversations, will share their insights on what teens are thinking, in particular, gleanings from our NWS 10th graders. They will discuss parental strategies that can help set the stage for open communication on critically important topics.

Join us and ParentMap at Town Hall Seattle for an enlightening evening with Dr. Anthony Wolf. A practicing clinical psychologist, speaker, and author of many books on parenting, Dr. Wolf will talk about being marooned among volatile and seemingly incomprehensible aliens (aka teens and tweens), how to discover the drivers behind adolescent behavior, and offer insights for living together in peace at home.

Dr. Wolf’s books include the best selling Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive Me & Cheryl to the Mall: A Parent’s Guide to the New Teenager and his newest book, I’d Listen to My Parents if They’d Just Shut Up: What to Say and Not Say When Parenting Teens.

Known for rave reviews, knockout presentations and reassuring words, this is a great opportunity to make sure your parenting skills are keeping up with today’s teens.

Limited half price tickets, $10, available for purchase with NWS Coupon Code, see event details for more information.

Due to weather concerns, the SAT/ACT Practice Exam offered to members of the Class of 2013, originally scheduled for Saturday, January 21, 2012, has been postponed.

Also postponed is the SAT vs. ACT Workshop, hosted by Kaplan at NWS. Originally scheduled for Thursday, February 2, 2012, 7:00-8:00 p.m., this session for students and parents of the Class of 2013 has been postponed.

The College Counselors will announce new dates and times for both events when they have been identified.

Please see Morgan or Peter in the College Counseling Office with any questions you may have regarding either of these programs.

Parents of members of the class of 2013 are encouraged to remind their students to schedule their individual conferences with their college counselor. Conferences began on January 17. Prior to meeting with their college counselors, students will need to complete the Initial Self-Assessment Survey found on Naviance.

Once individual students have completed their initial conference with their college counselor, their families may schedule the family college counseling conference.

On March 19, grandparents and special friends of NWS students are invited to join us for Grandparents & Special Friends Day. It is a memorable opportunity to experience our school through the eyes of our students.

To ensure that your student’s grandparent or special friend is invited to this meaningful event, please complete the Grandparent & Special Friend Information Form. This form can be filled out electronically with Adobe Acrobat and emailed directly to the Development Office. These are due by Friday, January 20. After filling out your form, please save it on your home computer and attach it to an email message to Lauren Nelson.

For more information on Grandparents & Special Friends Day, or to view a slideshow from last year’s event, please click here.

An after-school Traffic Ed Program is offered at NWS, in coordination with Seattle Public Schools. It is a 7-1/2 week course, and includes classroom instruction and behind the wheel instruction. The cost is $599.00 per student. Students who are at least 15 years old by the first day of driver training class may register for a traffic education course. For the course to be held at NWS, a minimum of six students must be enrolled. Registration forms are available in the Main Office. When completed, drop them off in the Main Office and once we have a minimum of six registration forms, the course can be scheduled. Please contact Alice Dunlap for additional information.

The Environmental Interest Group is excited to announce the arrival of its new “green” reusable mugs (produced with support from a YMCA grant). Both these mugs and a new batch of canvas shopping bags feature a student-designed logo and are now available for a $5 donation (or $8 for two bags). The group is encouraging the use of these mugs and bags as alternatives to single-use cups and bags. Anyone interested in getting mugs or bags can contact the group here.

It's time to hit the slopes with The Northwest School Friday Night Ski and Snowboard Program. Our program is different from other schools’ programs in that we take our own bus and we don’t limit ourselves to just six weeks. Upcoming outings are Friday 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, and 3/9. Please check the Outdoor Program online schedule for specifics on all of the outdoor trips including the ski bus. General information about the Outdoor Program including Friday Night Ski Bus Information, Guidelines and Expectations, Financial Aid, and NWS Student Season Pass Info can be found here.

For more information about the NWS Outdoor Program, contact Glen Sterr or Herb Bergamini. Contact Mike Mullen with any questions about the NWS Student Discounted Summit-at Snoqualmie Season Passes.

About E-News: The weekly E-News covers a two-week period of upcoming events, parent reminders, and campus news. For a complete listing of events and important dates, please visit the all-school calendar.