Dear Sunrise families,

We are very excited to share about two important dates next week in Sunrise: our field trip to Triad Lanes bowling alley on 5/12 and our Sunrise Picnic on 5/14! Please read to ensure you have the information you need for these events.

Bowling trip: We will be joining our buddies for a morning of bowling, math practice, and buddy bonding from 10:30-12:30 on Tuesday, May 12. Because our buddies and their teachers will be joining us, we are not requesting chaperones for this trip; however, one thing that we need from each of you is your child's shoe size sent to us by this Friday, May 8. We would love to be able to tell the bowling alley all of their shoe sizes ahead of time so that we are ready to go and have as much time to bowl and add and subtract as possible. We are so excited that this was able to come to fruition and look forward to a wonderful experience with these two groups of awesome kids.

Sunrise Picnic: Our annual Sunrise Picnic will take place at 5pm on Thursday, May 14. This is an opportunity for students and resource teachers to showcase what they’ve been working on all year, as well as for the community to gather and share a meal. Please plan to bring food and beverages for your family. You can bring a blanket or yard chairs, or you can use one of the many benches on campus. Weather permitting, we plan on going for a short hike for our PE demonstration, so please bring good walking/hiking shoes. If the sun is shining, we’ll plan on meeting outside our class on the Sunrise patio. If the skies are gloomy, gray, and rainy, plan on meeting inside our classroom.

We have a lot coming up as the year comes to a close, so here are just a few more important dates to have on your radar:

• May 20- Carnation Ceremony (9:00)
• May 22- No school - Senior graduation 2:00
• May 29- Last day of school dismiss @ 11:45 (no extended care)

We recognize this is a lot of information - please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions as these events draw closer. We look forward to an eventful and joyous end to our school year!

In peace,
Julia and Cara

Sunrise families,

It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing my departure from New Garden Friends School at the end of this school year. I am beyond grateful for every moment I’ve had in this community and after five years here, it is hard to imagine being anywhere else. That being said, I am looking forward to relocating to Richmond, Virginia this summer to be closer to my family and begin a life there with my partner. I am also looking forward to continuing my teaching career in early childhood education, taking everything I have learned here with me for the rest of my career.

I want to emphasize that though I am leaving, this community will always be a part of me and I will absolutely not be a stranger to this place. Please know I will always be reachable and look forward to hearing updates about you and your kids as they blaze their own trails beyond Sunrise and NGFS.

In peace and gratitude,

Julia

The Sunrise Picnic that was scheduled for April 23 will now take place on MAY 14 at 5:00 PM. 

Dear Parents and Guardians of Current Students in Kindergarten, Grade 2, and Grade 4,

We are excited to share details with you about a very important event that is coming up on Thursday, February 19. This is an informational event for parents / guardians preparing for 2026 - 2027 grade level transitions for their students. Teachers at each level will have lots to share with you and will give you an opportunity to ask questions about the upcoming grade.

Each of these three meetings will take place on the same night on the GC Campus. The schedule is as follows:

• Rising 1st at 6 p.m. Location: Rainbow classroom (Parker Young Building). This meeting will provide parents/guardians of current Kindergarten students an opportunity to learn more about Rainbow (grades 1-2).
• Rising 3rd at 6:30 p.m. Location: Horizon classroom (upstairs of Newlin-Stewart Building). This meeting will provide parents/guardians of current 2nd graders an opportunity to learn more about Horizon (grades 3-4).
• Rising 5th at 7 p.m. Location: Galaxy classroom (upstairs of Newlin-Stewart Building. This meeting will provide parents/guardians of current 4th graders an opportunity to learn more about Galaxy (grades 5-6).

Childcare is provided for K, 2nd, and 4th graders and their siblings during this meeting at no charge. Advance sign-up is required to ensure appropriate staffing. Please sign up by sending an email to extendedcare@ngfs.org by Tuesday, February 17.

We look forward to an exciting evening as you begin to prepare for your child’s next year at NGFS!

Thank you,

Genny

Dear ACG and Sunrise (TK) families,

Thank you to everyone who attended our Countdown to Sunrise event this week! It was a wonderful evening filled with community and conversation and even an opportunity for families to connect with our incoming Head of School, Michelle Klosterman.
You are all invited to view the Countdown to Sunrise presentation to learn more about our incredible Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs. Feel free to reach out to our Sunrise Teachers, Cara (ckiser@ngfs.org) or Julia (jspoor@ngfs.org) with any questions and to learn more.

Chris Skidmore, our Director of Admissions is also happy to help and can set up a time for you to spend time in the Sunrise classrooms during the school day. She can be reached at cskidmore@ngfs.org.
We are so excited about the year ahead for your child and thank you, as always, for your partnership!

In peace,
Genny

Countdown to Sunrise, Wednesday, January 14, 6-7 p.m., Sunrise classroom

This event is for current ACG and TK families and is an opportunity to see the classroom and hear from the Sunrise teachers about our Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten programs.  Learn about Kindergarten readiness skills, our approach to social skills, outdoor play and much more. Come explore what is next for your child.

Extended Care is provided for free for families (ACG and TK students and siblings) during this meeting.

Click this link to RSVP to attend this event and indicate your need for extended care during the meeting.

For any questions, please contact Genny Smith at gsmith@ngfs.org.

We look forward to seeing you next week. Many thanks,

Genny Smith
Head of Lower School

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday evening for the Lower School Parent Night meeting. If you were not able to attend or would like to review the information we shared, the presentation links are provided below. The first is the "Introduction" presentation with the information that was shared during the all-campus portion of the evening. This is followed by links to the presentations that were shared in classrooms by the teachers.

Lower School Parent Night Introduction presentation

A Child's Garden Parent Night presentation (preschool and pre-K)

Sunrise Parent Night presentation (TK and K)

Rainbow Parent Night presentation (grades 1-2)

Horizon Parent Night presentation (grades 3-4)

Galaxy Parent Night presentation (grades 5-6)

One of our most beloved traditions is the Carnation Ceremony. Each fall, the seniors welcome the Sunrise (TK and K) students to the school with a flower; in the spring, the Sunrise students wish the seniors well by offering them a flower.

We are excited to announce the date for the fall ceremony, which will take place in a special Quaker Meeting on Monday, Sept. 22 at 1:30 p.m. at New Garden Friends Meeting, located at 801 New Garden Road.

We hope you can be there for this special celebration. If you plan to join us, please RSVP by Thursday, Sept. 18 by sending an email to Head of Middle and Upper School Tanisha Jones at tanisha@ngfs.org. Please include the number in attendance (not including your student) when you send your RSVP.

Note about Dismissal: The Sunrise class will travel by small NGFS bus to the meetinghouse for this event. The ceremony will end by 2:30. Sunrise parents/guardians who attend are welcome to take their Sunriser home from the meetinghouse after the ceremony. Remaining students will be bused back to campus for regular dismissal and Extended Care.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Speech Pathologist, Martha Eanes, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, offers speech and hearing screenings to the children at New Garden Friends School. These screenings include:

• Hearing screening using an audiometer - This assessment takes about 5 minutes. If the child does not pass the initial screening, parents/guardians are notified, and the child is seen again in 2 weeks (at no additional charge). If the child does not pass a second time, families are referred to an audiologist or ENT specialist for further audiological assessment.
• Screening of articulation, language concepts, sentence grammar, auditory memory, voice and fluency - Teachers are asked to fill out a questionnaire that will assist in identifying any speech, language, listening or early literacy problems. This screening takes about 10 minutes.

These screenings will result in either 1) no further evaluation necessary, 2) a recommendation for a short assessment in specific problem areas identified, or 3) a recommendation for a more comprehensive assessment. A letter will be provided to parents/guardians and teachers indicating the child has either passed all of the developmental screening or is recommended for further assessment. A list of services available in the Greensboro area will also be provided.

This service is offered at a cost of $50 per child. *The fee for 4 and 5-year-olds (ACG-Iris and Sunrise students) is paid through tuition and no payment is required.

Screenings will take place during September. If you would like for your child to participate in the screening, please complete the permission form here (or a paper copy) and return it as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please email Marci Richardson, Lower School Learning Specialist  at mrichardson@ngfs.org.

Thank you,

Genny

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am Kathryn, the school nurse. My job is to ensure our students are learning in a healthy and safe environment, this includes asking for your assistance in being mindful of food allergies.

In Sunrise we have children allergic to: eggs, peanut butter, peanuts and tree nuts.

This year Sunrise is an EGG* AND NUT-FREE ZONE.

*stovetop eggs, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, etc.

I know these precautions take extra thought and planning, but together we can make sure every child feels safe and included at school. Thank you for helping us keep our classrooms healthy for all.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Kathryn

School Nurse 

health@ngfs.org 

Click here for the Sunrise welcome letter.