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February 18, 2011 Volume VI, Issue 21   Home Letter from Anne Dear Parents,   One of the most pleasant afternoons I recently spent at AIS was on MLK Day, when I made mosaic bowls for Empty Bowls. A group of us, students and adults, leisurely played with colors and design as we created beautiful artwork from chips of porcelain and glass squares, expressing our individuality and playful creativity. Mosaics represent the world in many ways, by building stories through designs made from pieces of china, glass, stone, shells, and more. In this contemporary world, the new buzzword is re-purposing, and a movement has taken hold both in the world of art and the world of practicality where we recycle, or re-purpose, rather than throw away. Some of the china pieces used to make our bowls came from Philadelphia Aids Thrift, a non-profit in the city that raises money through resale to support the fight against AIDS/HIV. First we supported one non-profit in order to create art to support another non-profit: “Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger and was created by The Imagine Render Group. The basic premise is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators and others work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to end hunger and food insecurity.” Recently, AIS took part in another type of re-purposing through its blood drive. Giving blood that is then used to support and save others is a basic, yet desperate need. Sixty-seven AISers gave, and fifty pints of blood were collected. The American Red Cross said we did “an amazing job.” Please join us on February 27th in the Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion to share in the recognition of the need to support hunger through the arts. Have a restful Presidents’ Day Weekend! Anne Coming Up at AIS ... Sun., Feb. 20: Club AIS Volleyball Practice, 1:00-3:30 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion Mon., Feb. 21: President’s Day Holiday, No Classes Tues., Feb. 22: Classes Resume Fri., Feb. 25: Eastern Swimming Conference Championships, All Day, Off-Campus Sat., Feb. 26: Eastern Swimming Conference Championships, All Day, Off-Campus Sat., Feb. 26: Mandatory CREW Meeting for Spring Crew, 11:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M., Boathouse Row #14 Sun., Feb. 27: Club AIS Volleyball Practice, 1:00-3:30 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion Sun., Feb. 27: Empty Bowls Supper, 5:00-7:00 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion Looking Ahead … Mon., Feb. 28: Spring Sports start Tues., Mar. 1:100th Night Dinner for Class of 2011, 5:30-7:00 P.M., US Cafeteria Wed., Mar. 2: 9th and 10th Grade Parent College Night, 7:30-9:00 P.M., West-Wike Theatre Thurs., Mar. 3- Sat., Mar. 5: Robotics Competition at Trenton, All Day, Sun National Bank Center, Trenton, NJ Sun., Mar. 6: Club AIS Volleyball Practice, 1:00-3:30 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion Sun., Mar. 6: Crew Chili Bingo Night, 5:00-8:00 P.M., Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion Downloads Cafeteria Menu Empty Bowls Invitation   Announcements Save Two Dates! Saturday, February 26: Mandatory Spring Crew Meeting If your daughter plans on rowing this spring, please attend a mandatory informational crew meeting on Saturday, February 26, 11:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M., at Philadelphia Girls' Rowing Club, Boathouse Row #14.  Girls are required to come as well to prep equipment.   Sunday, March 6: Chili Bingo Night at AIS AIS Crew's annual Chili Bingo Night is taking place 6:30-8:30 P.M. in the Laura Thomas Buck '49 Pavilion.  More information to come!    Empty Bowls: February 27 See the 'Downloads' section for the full invitation   On Sale Soon in the AIS Bookstore! Starting next week, the latest edition of Dr. Ken Ginsburg's book, Building Resilience in Children and Teens, will be available for purchase in the AIS Bookstore for $17.00.   Lower School Admission Event We are planning an outreach event to attract new families and their daughters to our campus. Tumbling Tots is an hour-long gymnastics course for 3, 4, and 5-year-old girls and their parents. This event will be held on Saturday, March 19 from 10:00-11:00 A.M. in the Lower School. AIS Physical Education teacher and Elite Gymnastics Coach, Curtis Lee, and Michele Kane, AIS Physical Education Department Chair, will lead this course. Please mention this event to your friends, as this will be a fun morning. RSVP to bmassaro@agnesirwin.org. There is no admission fee for this event.