Each year our students from Kindergarten to Grade 5 look forward to Grandparents & Special Friends Visiting Day. The day begins with a light breakfast and a musical performance, followed by welcoming remarks by Head of School Peter A. Barrett. From there, schedules vary based on the grade of the excited student-host. All grandparents and special friends will be invited to spend time in the classroom, attend chapel, and participate in grade-specific service activities.

A Grandparent & Special Friends Visiting Day Co-Chair and mother of two children at St. Patrick's remarked, "Grandparents & Special Friends Visiting Day is a beloved tradition. My children took so much pride in sharing everything about their school with the people that they love. The morning is carefully designed to showcase St. Patrick's as an extraordinary community of confident and proud Wolfhounds." We look forward to sharing part of the morning with these special visitors!

Gifts for Good, the school's community-wide alternative gift fair, will take place on Saturday, December 1, from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm in the Gymnasium & Performance Center. An annual event for all ages, Gifts for Good reflects our commitment to serving the broader community. Students, faculty and staff, and parents collaborate to offer token gifts in exchange for contributions to a range of local, domestic, and international causes. Organizations include DC Hunger Solutions, Warrior Canine Connection, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and Horizons Greater Washington, along with our annual support of St. Etienne, our partner school in Haiti.

Each year at Gifts for Good, attendees make donations to a variety of organizations in exchange for token gifts that can be given to family and friends in place of more traditional consumer products. The community-wide event is expected to attract more than 400 attendees and raise meaningful funds for more than 30 beneficiary organizations. We look forward to seeing you at this year's gathering!

Please join us on Sunday, November 18, at 10:00 am for Episcopal Schools Sunday, when St. Patrick's Episcopal Church and Day School gather to worship and celebrate the essential work of Episcopal schools, both here at St. Patrick's and around the world. The theme for this year is, "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed."

The MacArthur Campus Chamber Singers will sing "Woyaya" for the offertory. The simple text, "We Are Going," is from the Ga language spoken in and around Accra, Ghana. The lyrics of the song reflect life's journey—the road can be hard and messy, but persevering as a community will get us through. Chamber Singers will also offer this song at Day School Chaplain Jenifer Gamber's ordination to the diaconate on Saturday, November 17, at the National Cathedral. 

On Friday, November 16, from 8:30 to 9:30 am, parents and friends are invited to join our Grade 3 students as they present the conclusion of their inquiry study of the United States. This year began with an interdisciplinary study of the United States by using an inquiry-based approach. Students embark on an independent research project and discover what makes each region of the United Sates unique, as they compare and contrast the regions.

Beginning in the Gymnasium & Performance Center and continuing in the Grade 3 classrooms and the Design Lab, students will share their learning process as well as all that they uncovered about the states. This culminating interdisciplinary presentation will showcase student learning for parents, friends, and faculty and staff. The celebration will incorporate music, social studies, library research, and art. We look forward to sharing our learning with you!