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June 2, 2013
Greetings! As we head into the final stretch of the 2012-2013 school year, we are enjoying a number of special events as well as savoring the friend-ship and fellowship in our Swain community.
Thank you for taking the time to read our great stories, including a report from our Class of 2009 gathering, and where our Swain alumni are headed to college.
This edition can rightly be subtitled "Amazing Results"! Class of 2013 dedicates gift to the school
 From left (kneeling): Rachael, Gabby T, Jenna, Sophia, Gianna, Mary, Gabby K, Hannah, Sarah, Giuliana, Meg and Marcy; (standing): Alex, Connor, James, Christian, Zach, Jeff, Ben, Taylor, Michael, Steven and Garrett - click on photo for more pictures
For many years it has been a tradition for the graduating class to present a gift to the school, in gratitude for the great educational experience each student has enjoyed.
The Class of 2013 dedicated its gift, the resurfacing of the area outside the Main Entrance, on Tuesday morning. Each student shared a memory of coming to Swain.
Many thanks to our graduating 8th graders and their families for this gift, which will welcome future generations of Swain students for many years to come!
Swain chapter of NJHS honors scholars
Eleven middle school students were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society in a ceremony held on Wednesday.
 From left: Aaron, Alec, Emma, Tyler, Sophia, Brooke, Elektra, Taylor, Mary, Harrison, Thomas - click on photo for more pictures
To achieve this honor, the students had to meet certain academic requirements and exhibit characteristics such as leadership and service.
Thomas Ike (Dad of Harrison and Davis) was the guest speaker, encouraging the students to pursue the five ideals of the National Junior Honor Society: citizenship, character, leadership, scholarship and service. He is Vice President at Lutron Electronics Company.
NJHS was founded in 1929, the same year that The Swain School opened its doors.
Dialog draws Swain and community together
The Swain School proudly presented "Education - the Path to Peace, Justice & Equity" on Thursday evening - the first in a series of developing dialogs promoting the power of education to achieve local and global goals.
Dr. James Peterson, Director of  Africana Studies at Lehigh University, was the keynote speaker. He is a popular speaker, scholar, and regular contributor to MSNBC. He was joined by these panelists:
- Carmen Twillie Ambar, President of Cedar Crest College (and Mom of Gabby, Luke and Daniel)
- Heather Beth Johnson, Associate Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University
- J. Christopher Kovats-Bernat, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Muhlenberg College (and Dad of Addison and Ella)
- Adrian E. Shanker, Activist, Advocate, Changemaker and President of Equality Pennsylvania
Our world faces many challenging problems including biases against race, gender and sexual orientation; violence and repression; environmental issues; poverty; and hunger.
The panelists grappled with challenging questions like "What is the most pressing social issue in the world?" and "Race or class - how are they connected and how do they impact modern life?".
This unique speaking series will provide a forum for active discussion of the issues so that we can begin to challenge injustice and build a more fair and peaceful world.
Thank you to the Borgenicht Foundation for funding this series.
Friday's Picnic & Field Day brings fun, food, laughter
Swain students and faculty enjoyed the annual Picnic (thank you, Swain Association!), Field Day (thank you, Mrs. Carole Henning!), Jump Rope for Heart (we raised $1975 for the American Heart Association!) and yearbook distribution (thank you, Mrs. Julia Getty!) on Friday.
It was a long, hot but fun day - click on this photo of Mr. Burns, Tanya and Farah enjoying a water relay for many more pictures of the day's events.
Twelve members of the Class of 2009 gathered at Louie's Restaurant on Tuesday evening, to catch up with one another and celebrate their graduations from secondary schools. Mr. Stansbery, Mr. Armstrong, Mrs. Burns, Mrs. Werner, Mrs. Skinner and trustee Mrs. Scagliotti were on hand to share in the memories and to wish our alumni well on the next step of their educational journey! This group of students is headed to an exceptional array of quality institutions of higher education (noted next to their names):  From left, kneeling: Michelle Trempel (Johns Hopkins University), Abi Ray (College of the Holy Cross), Sarah Reibman (Smith College), Lucero Cordero (Franklin & Marshall College), Bailey Kudla-Williams (Allegheny College), Ahrim Lee (University of California-Berkeley).
From left, standing: Jonathan Leeds (Vanderbilt University), Neeraj Tatikola (Penn State University), Greg Ritchie (Berklee College of Music), Alex Ortner (Temple University), Alec Talsania (Hamilton College), Mason Moser (Miami University of Ohio).
Other members of the class and their post-secondary schools: Craig Appel - Fordham University
Steven Bendit - Elon University
David Brandt - Lehigh University
Clement Decrop - Penn State University
Joe Grant - De Sales University
MJ Kwon - New York University
Aditya Misra - Cornell UniversityAvery Nielsen - Albright College
Asim Viqar - University of Pittsburgh
Charles Worrilow - Furman University
William Worrilow - Davidson College
Two other members of the class, Julie Bejoint and Marion Delpuech, are living and studying in France.
Congratulations and keep in touch!
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