What a week! Upper School students started things right by bringing their A game for the Trunk-or-Treat festivities. Each year, we think the trunks can't possibly improve over last year, and then they do! The Owens advisory took first place (Paw Patrol). The Sorrenti advisory came in a close second (Shrek). Third place went to the Camp/Wesneski advisory (Candyland). You can check out the full scope of the students' creativity and hard work above. I want to highlight sophomore Briley Delarosa's costume which really captures how much Upper School students put into creating a great experience on Halloween. Her eagle wings were handmade, carved from sturdy foam and painted by Briley herself!

On Wednesday, while Lower and Middle School had conference day, Upper School took time to have an extended lunch and belt a few karaoke tunes. The teachers may or may not have enjoyed the time more than the kids. We also had a guest appearance from a few Lower School students who were hanging around in faculty child care. They brought down the house!

A YIG update from Dr. Fisher:

Thirty-three upper schoolers are in Columbia, SC for the annual Youth in Government Conference. Over 1700 students from all over the state converge on our state capitol to participate in a mock legislature and judicial program. The conference continues into Saturday. SDS students have done an outstanding job delivering speeches, debating Bills, and participating in civil discourse. Several of our legislative pairs have had their Bills pass the committee stage and the first chamber (House/Senate) and we are hopeful that some of the Bills will be signed into 'YIG Law' by the governor. We will share a full update on how things went next week.

I will reshare this information as the time draws closer, but Upper School will again administer semester exams by block rather than structuring the assessments by subject. Below is the semester exam schedule.

Next week is another busy one. Monday is an A day. The Upper School Play opens on Thursday. Flag the Lawn is Friday, and the INTERACT Yard Sale is Saturday in the parking lot of First Piedmont Federal - across from Willy Taco. 

The Month of Gratitude has begun, and the glass in Presnell is already being filled with sincere notes of kindness and thanks. I will hold off on sharing images this week because they deserve their own space. I do, however, want to say how grateful we, as Upper School faculty, are to be a part of this community. Your kids are funny, kind, smart, and they work hard. You only need to look at the pictures in this post for ample evidence. We could not have asked for more from them this week. Our students make our jobs meaningful and fun, and we are thankful for the opportunity to work with them. 

Remember to set your clocks back and enjoy the weekend!

Sincerely,

Paige