News
The Secret Places of Oregon
An intrepid group of seven girls and two boys spent three days exploring deep inside some of the most remote parts of the state. The drive from Portland took us over Mt. Hood and into Bend. Further south past La Pine we angled east on Highway 31. Our first stop was at Hole in the Ground. We observed the geology of the area, as we did at many of the other sites during the trip. The crater was bigger than anyone expected. Some say it is a meteorite crater, but most of the geologists belive it was created by a catastrophic volcanic explosion.
The next stop was at Fort Rock, AKA Dutch Baby, where we walked up into the crater of the extinct volcano. The erosion from the waves was evident. Back in the town of Fort Rock we went to the local museum, which had wonderful outdoor exhibits of genuine homestead houses, churches and places of business. In the school house we saw that in 1886 the punishment for being late to class was five lashes.
Using supoerior map reading skills we travelled east on some good roads that eventually brought us to the Lost Forest. We could tell that the dune buggy crowd would soon be occupying the area and the designated sites, so we opted for a camping area at the far eastern end of the forest. Though this was a designated camping area, the roads were rough and the van had to be driven very carefully. Our camping area was at the base of some very distinctive rocks- filled with huecos. Could be a potential climbing area.
Saturday morning we were up early- about 6:30 am. We wanted to get over to see the sand dunes before the dune buggies came out. We largely succeeded and entertained ourselves with rolling down the hills and long distance jumping contests. From here we drove over to the Fossil Lake area. We parked the rigs near the gate at the north entrance and walked the old lake bed for about three hours. Each student found at least a dozen Pleistocene era fossils during their searching. The day was beautiful. We drove south to the town of Christmas Valley and had lunch at the golf course. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing Ultimate Frisbee and golf. We split into three groups and played a best ball match. The kids really liked it- even those who had never golfed before.
The next morning our start was a bit more leisurely. We were out of camp about 8:30 and made our way via the complex desert road system to Crack in the Ground. It is quite an attraction and its depths are easily traversed. We spent a fair amount of time investigating the rock climbing possibilities and decided that next year we should in fact set up some climbs. The rock is good basalt and the anchors could be juniper trees.
From here we headed north and stopped at the Green Mountain Lookout- a new lookout. The drive back was long but the conversation was good. We were in the Catlin parking lot about 5:30 pm.
2012 national French contest results
Level 01A – 6,376 participants nationally
Mark Nicholson, 1st in Oregon, 5th in nation
Maya King, 2nd in Oregon, 8th in nation
Maria Chang, 3rd in Oregon, 10th in nation
Ruby Belle Booth, 4th in Oregon, 11th in nation
Josephine Evans, 5th in Oregon, 13th in nation
Andrew Park, 5th in Oregon, 13th in nation
Level 1A – 24,068 participants nationally
Gabriella Bishop, 1st in Oregon, 3rd in nation
Iris Ellenberg, 1st in Oregon, 3rd in nation
Parsa Farhang, 2nd in Oregon, 8th in nation
Ethan John , 3rd in Oregon, 9th in nation
Lucy Williamson, 3rd in Oregon, 9th in nation
Emily Rodriguez, 4th in Oregon, 11th in nation
Nicolas Bergen, 5th in Oregon, 12th in nation
Abby Hungate, 5th in Oregon, 12th in nation
Sanders Polin, 5th in Oregon, 12th in nation
Elizabeth Wilson, 5th in Oregon, 12th in nation
Level 2A – 24,115 participants nationally
Victoria Michalowsky, 1st in Oregon, 2nd in nation
Raina Morris, 2nd in Oregon, 6th in nation
Jarod Gowgiel, 3rd in Oregon, 9th in nation
Mary Gilleland, 4th in Oregon, 11th in nation
Simon McMurchie, 4th in Oregon, 11th in nation
Hanna Sheikh, 4th in Oregon, 11th in nation
Kallan Dana, 5th in Oregon, 12th in nation
Level 3A– 19,230 participants nationally
Christopher Junn, 1st in Oregon, 8th in nation
Ella Bohn,, 2nd in Oregon, 11th in nation
Gabriele Chodosh, 3rd in Oregon, 12th in nation
Emmarose John, 3rd in Oregon, 12th in nation
Kelsey Hurst, 4th in Oregon, 15th in nation
Ian Smith, 5th in Oregon, 17th in nation
Level 4A – 12,512 participants nationally
Alison Natter, 1st in Oregon, 5th in nation
Matthew Junn, 2nd in Oregon, 11th in nation
Ilana Cohen, 3rd in Oregon, 14th in nation
Layla Entrikin, 4th in Oregon, 20th in nation
Hannah Hay-Smith, 4th in Oregon, 20th in nation
Evan Brandaw, 5th in Oregon, 22nd in nation
Siobhan Furnary, 5th in Oregon, 22nd in nation
Level 5A – 5,799 participants nationally
Fiona Noonan, 1st in Oregon, 10th in nation
Hunter Ray, 1st in Oregon, 10th in nation
Nicholas Rhodes, 1st in Oregon, 10th in nation
Zoë Frank, 2nd in Oregon, 11th in nation
Maggie Weirich, 4th in Oregon, 14th in nation
Alexandra Van Alebeek, 5th in Oregon, 16th in nation
Senior Mariah Morton wins long and triple jump championships, girls 4x400 team wins at state
In addition to winning two state championships as an individual competitor, Mariah was also a member of the championship 4x400m relay team along with freshman Adele English, senior Cammy Edwards, junior Fiona Noonan, and sophomore Gabby Bishop.
The girls 4x100m relay team took 2nd place with runners Mariah Morton, Adele English, Cammy Edwards, junior Audrey Davis, and freshman Talia Quatraro.
Cammy Edwards placed 2nd in both the 300m hurdles and the high hurdles.
Junior Hannah Jaquiss placed 3rd in the 3000m and 7th in the 1500.
Junior Mckenzie Spooner placed 6th in the 3000.
Junior Hannah Rotwein placed 6th in the 1500.
The girls track team came in 2nd at state.
Senior Parris Joyce took 3rd place in the boys 800.
Senior Eli Wilson Pelton placed 6th in the high hurdles and 7th in the 300 hurdles.
Junior David Lovitz took 8th in the high jump.
Sophomore Ian Smith, Eli Wilson Pelton, Parris Joyce, David Lovitz, sophomore Chris Belluschi, and junior Cody Hoyt placed 7th in the 4x100 relay.
Senior Kate Rubinstein took 2nd place at the state tennis tournament.
Senior Andrew Salvador took 2nd place in tennis.
The doubles tennis team of junior Evan Hallmark and senior Sammy Lubitz finished 3rd at state.
The boys tennis team took 2nd place at state.
Video: Senior panel
Seven seniors spoke at the May 17 parent community meeting. It was great to hear them talk about what they loved about Catlin Gabel (relationships with teachers!) and what they would change, their paths to college, what was fun during their years at the school, and more.
The video runs for one hour.
The Power of Thank You
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Have you ever heard the phrase you catch more flies with honey? Besides being a pearl of wisdom, this old adage speaks to human nature. It tells us that we get more of what we want by being kind and sweet. What if that honey wasn’t just about being kind and sweet? What if that honey was being grateful and what we wanted to gain was a greater sense of happiness?
Teaching children to be grateful for the things they have can actually make them happier. When children appreciate and are thankful for what is given to them they feel content, whole, fulfilled. These feelings then lead to greater sense of well-being and happiness. On the other hand, when children are not grateful and instead seek to have more, they often are left with a sense of longing and emptiness. They create a pattern of never feeling satiated and that there is never enough to help them feel better.
Therefore, teaching children a sense of gratitude is paramount to happiness and success. Does it go beyond teaching them to say thank you? According to parent.com the answer is yes. Parent.com gives us some great tips for teaching gratitude:
- Work gratitude into your daily conversation. "We're so lucky to have a good cat like Sam!" "Aren't the colors in the sunset amazing?" Set up a routine talking as a family for what you are thankful for. This normalizes the process of gratitude and shifts the conversation from what is wrong or what you don’t have to being thankful for all you do have.
- Have kids help. Giving children chores around the house that are suitable for their developmental level is extremely helpful for them to learn gratitude. Children can be appreciative when they realize what it takes to run a household. Simple everyday things can do the trick. Such chores as feeding the dog, transferring the clothes from the washer to the dryer, pulling weeds, or putting your plate in the dishwasher can go far in teaching this lesson.
- Find a goodwill project. This doesn’t have to be taking on a big project. It can be taking clothes to Goodwill, taking canned food to the food bank, or helping a neighbor with their yard work. Its important to talk about why you are doing it and why you are thankful for what you have.
- Encourage generosity. Giving to others is powerful. Encourage sharing what you have with others. If you do not have much, encourage sharing your time, energy, and creativity. Again, speak directly to what you are doing and why.
- Insist on thank-you notes. For little ones, this can be you writing the note and they drawing a picture or signing their name. For older kids, carve out time for them to do this and make it personal. They should address it to the person and specifically thank them for the item they received. Teaching children to write thank you notes of gifts can be a powerful lesson.
- Practice saying no. Children who never hear the word “no,” never learn to have self-discipline. If children are granted all their heart desires they will have a hard time appreciating what they have as they learn to expect the next toy, cookie, or video game.
Junior Terrance Sun and freshman Valerie Ding were finalists at the Intel International Science Fair in Pittsburgh
Terrance entered a project titled "Improvements to Automatic Translation of Legal Text" in the computer science category.
Valerie entered a project titled "Shining Like the Sun: A Novel Quantum Mechanical Approach to Property Analysis and Energy Efficiency Algorithm for White-Light LEDs" in the physics and astronomy category.
Valerie's project won a Fourth Award. In addition, Valerie was one of only 12 students (from over 1,500) to win an all-expenses-paid trip this summer to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, where the students will meet with researchers and see the experiments they are working on.
Congratulations to Valerie and Terrance!
Year-end calendar and notes for seniors
Download the at-a-glance calendar of senior class year-end events and deadlines. (Posted below)
Graduation notes
Graduation DVD orders
If you are interested in purchasing a DVD of the ceremony, please use the form posted below.
- The DVD is produced by Dutton Productions
- Extra forms are available in the Upper School office.
- For auto billing to your final Catlin Gabel statement, forms must be completed and submitted in advance by June 5.
- FINAL deadline to order with payment by check attached is June 29.
Graduation Photos
Joseph Photographer will take individual, group, and class photographs in the Beehive on the afternoon of graduation. The order form is posted below.
- Photography begins at 3:30 p.m.
- Order form with payment and schedule details is posted below
- Forms and payment will be taken at the time of the photo
Special Seating Requests
If you have family members needing special assistance or accommodations for the graduation ceremony, please email Mary Medley indicating if your guest needs wheelchair access or limited-mobility access.
Used book return
The business office collects used books at the end of every school year. A comprehensive list of accepted books will be published soon. In the meantime, mark your calendars for these book return dates:
Thursday, June 7, 12:45 – 2 p.m. in the business office
Friday, June 8, 12:45 – 1:45 p.m. and 3 – 4:30 p.m. in the Cottage (just down the hall from the business office)
Monday, June 11, 1 – 2:30 p.m. in the Cottage
You can credit your student’s account for the books returned, or you may donate the value to the school’s book fund, which provides student financial aid for future book purchases. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Ann Rogers in the business office, 503-297-1894 ext. 357.
Beginning School Buzz
Calendar
May
19 - Hand to Hand event
25 *No classes, Report Writing Day
28 No classes, Memorial Day
31 Choir Concert 7:30 Cabell Center
June
1 Lifer Celebration - Friday Sing
4 Jump Up Day
6 Middle School helpers
7 Kindergarten Olympics
8 Last day of school! (Full day)
* prearranged care available with ASC
Hannah's Headline
For those of you new to the school, The Hand to Hand event tomorrow is the last event of the Catlin Gabel Service Corps for this year. This is the third year of the Service Corps, which brings together Catlin Gabel famiy members of all ages to connect with and support the greater Portland community. This is a great opportunity to participate and to model service! See below for details.
This opportunity also connects with Jonathan's next installment on happiness in this newsletter - the power of gratitude and generosity.
Hand to Hand 2012
A Catlin Gabel Service Corp Enterprise
Saturday May 19, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Main parking lot—Collection tables will be available in the LS (outside the library) and the MS as of Wednesday, May 16, if you cannot attend next Saturday.
Building on the success of last year’s Hand-to-Hand event (which occurred in greater Portland) and the leadership of Bob Horenstein and Roz Babener we invited agencies to participate in Hand-to-Hand 2012, which will be hosted at Catlin Gabel School.
The focus of this event is to collect donations of food, clothing, essential household goods, and a variety of other small items that might be useful to nonprofit social service agencies and to draw attention to these agencies assisting low income individuals and families in our community. In addition, several agencies have taken advantage of Nance Leonhardt's offer have her media arts class produce films for the participating agencies.
Collect and give
Collect food, and gently used clothing, household goods, and a variety of other small items to donate to our partner nonprofit social service agencies.
Work party on campus
Drop-off and sorting all happens on May 19 when the CG community comes together to sort, box, and move your donations. Our partner nonprofits will be on hand with trucks and vans to take their donations.
Requested items
Towels • Men’s pants, coats, jackets, socks • Children's clothing • Toys • Toiletries (shampoo, sun screen, toothpaste) • USB drives • Gently used bikes for children and adults • Housewares (pots, small appliances, utensils) • Sleeping bags and blankets • School and office supplies (staplers, filing supplies, tape dispensers) • Non-perishable food items • Used cell phones
Our partners
Transition Projects • Community Cycling Center • Community Warehouse • St Child • JOIN • Schoolhouse Supplies • Oregon Food Bank • Bienestar • Domestic Violence Resource Center
Counselor's Corner
Part 3 in a 5 part series on happiness
The Power of Thank You
Have you ever heard the phrase you catch more flies with honey? Besides being a pearl of wisdom, this old adage speaks to human nature. It tells us that we get more of what we want by being kind and sweet. What if that honey wasn’t just about being kind and sweet? What if that honey was being grateful and what we wanted to gain was a greater sense of happiness?
Teaching children to be grateful for the things they have can actually make them happier. When children appreciate and are thankful for what is given to them they feel content, whole, fulfilled. These feelings then lead to greater sense of well-being and happiness. On the other hand, when children are not grateful and instead seek to have more, they often are left with a sense of longing and emptiness. They create a pattern of never feeling satiated and that there is never enough to help them feel better.
Therefore, teaching children a sense of gratitude is paramount to happiness and success. Does it go beyond teaching them to say thank you? According to parent.com the answer is yes. Parent.com gives us some great tips for teaching gratitude:
Work gratitude into your daily conversation. "We're so lucky to have a good cat like Sam!" "Aren't the colors in the sunset amazing?" Set up a routine talking as a family for what you are thankful for. This normalizes the process of gratitude and shifts the conversation from what is wrong or what you don’t have to being thankful for all you do have.
Have kids help. Giving children chores around the house that are suitable for their developmental level is extremely helpful for them to learn gratitude. Children can be appreciative when they realize what it takes to run a household. Simple everyday things can do the trick. Such chores as feeding the dog, transferring the clothes from the washer to the dryer, pulling weeds, or putting your plate in the dishwasher can go far in teaching this lesson.
Find a goodwill project. This doesn’t have to be taking on a big project. It can be taking clothes to Goodwill, taking canned food to the food bank, or helping a neighbor with their yard work. Its important to talk about why you are doing it and why you are thankful for what you have.
Encourage generosity. Giving to others is powerful. Encourage sharing what you have with others. If you do not have fun, encourage sharing your time, energy, and creativity. Again, speak directly to what you are doing and why.
Insist on thank-you notes. For little ones, this can be you writing the note and they drawing a picture or signing their name. For older kids, carve out time for them to do this and make it personal. They should address it to the person and specifically thank them for the item they received. Teaching children to write thank you notes of gifts can be a powerful lesson.
Practice saying no. Children who never hear the word “no,” never learn to have self-discipline. If children are granted all their heart desires they will have a hard time appreciating what they have as they learn to expect the next toy, cookie, or video game.
Be patient. It takes time for children to learn this lesson. It also comes with them pushing back, being unhappy with you or being upset they didn’t get their way. This is their job. Our job then becomes to teach the lesson in spite of tantrums or fits.
Northwest Gardening Calendars for Sale!
The Catlin Gabel Garden Club is selling twenty-month Northwest Gardening calendars that are beautifully illustrated with the cut-paper work of Upper School students. The artwork is inspired by the work of Olympia artist, Nikki McClure. Each daily box for twenty months has a gardening tip for the Northwest gardener. Proceeds from the sale of this calendar go to support the Catlin Gabel Garden Club. The cost of each calendar is $20, and Catlin Gabel community members may charge their accounts if they wish. Please drop by the front desk of your child's division to view this amazing calendar. Carter Latendresse has the bulk of them, and if you may email him directly at latendressec@catlin.edu to let him know that you want one, he will get the calendar to your child to bring home to you. Thank you.
PFA Appreciation BBQ
May 31, 5:00-7:00 pm, Barn Deck
Are you a current PFA rep, executive council member, parent or guardian who volunteered at Catlin Gabel this year?
If your answer is yes, join us for an appreciation meal! Kids are welcome and will be served pizza.
RSVP to Kayla Reich at k.reich@comcast.net by May 25.
US concert final performance for beloved teacher
Thursday, May 31
7:30 p.m.
Cabell Center Theater
C. Glenn Burnett is not leaving Catlin Gabel, but this is his final year as choir director. He is moving into an administrative role in the Upper School next year where he will work with students on Winterim, community service, and yearbook, as well as teach some piano. Expect a crowd and alumni participation for Glenn's last night directing from this particular podium.
Summer Beehive
Ages 4 by September 1st - Entering 1st grade
Come learn, play, and have fun with us!
Jennifer Marcus, Chenoa Ohlson, April Alexander, Leslie Hillman, Sarah Welsh, Victor Morris, & Alice Gachupin
The magic begins in the Beehive, and our time together is flexible for exploring and playing on Catlin Gabel’s beautiful 60-acre campus. Dive into the imaginative, process-oriented world of play through stories, songs, art, and games. Construct with an open-ended use of mixed media—both inside the classrooms and outside under the trees. We will make found-object art, using lots of cardboard, tape, scissors, glue, paint, fabric, feathers, and clay. Everyone will build in the woodshop with hand tools, take apart electronics, and re-build their own 3-D inventions. We’ll also have fun with familiar activities such as running through sprinklers on hot days, making snacks with delicious recipes, and constructing environments in the sandbox. We’ll gather each day to enjoy friendship, stories, and a lunch from home. Each session will include a field trip to swim at a local pool, hike a beautiful trail, or splash in a city fountain.
Sign up on-line for one or all six sessions.
And for older siblings . . .
Honey Hollow Adventure
New this year, we are pleased to introduce HONEY HOLLOW ADVENTURE for children grades 2nd-4th. Like SUMMER BEEHIVE, this integrated learning camp offers children a full day of learning and fun in the arts, athletics, woodshop, cooking, literacy, creative play, computer-film lab, and more!
As always, Catlin Gabel Summer Programs courses are open to everyone –pass the word and invite your friends to join the fun under the sun!
Upper School Biweekly Bulletin May 18, 2012
Calendar
Now through June11
US art show continues
Cabell Center Foyer
TOMORROW Saturday, May 19
Hand to hand work party
11 am
On campus
Monday, May 28
Memorial Day -- School and offices closed
Tuesday, May 29
Last day for senior projects
Wednesday, May 30
9th & 10th grade parent coffee
8:00 to 9:00 am
Gerlinger
Thursday, May 31
Senior projects presentations
Thursday, May 31
PFA Appreciation BBQ
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Thursday, May 31
US Concert
7:30 pm
Cabell Center Theater
Friday, June 1
US Lifer presentation
9:00 to 10:00 am
Beehive South Porch
Friday to Monday, June 1 to 4
Senior Class Trip
Saturday, June 9
US Graduation
Cabell Center
Message from Michael Heath
Hearing from our Seniors
From the Counselor
Thank goodness for this sunshine!
Hand to Hand 2012: a big day of giving big
An Important Reminder
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: Main parking lot
Collect your donations, bring them to campus tomorrow, and plan to spend some time working with students, parents, faculty-staff, and alumni. Visit the Hand to Hand webpage for more information. We hope to see you there.
Ninth and Tenth grade parents
For those of you who can’t make it, we will post a handout online.
We look forward to seeing you!
College Counselors
PFA Appreciation BBQ
Barn deck
Are you a current PFA rep, executive council member, parent or guardian who volunteered at Catlin Gabel this year? If your answer is yes, join us for an appreciation meal! Kids are welcome and will be served pizza.
Introducing our exchange students for 2012-13
Garden Club calendars available
The Catlin Gabel Garden Club is selling twenty-month Northwest Gardening calendars that are beautifully illustrated with the cut-paper work of Upper School students. The artwork is inspired by the work of Olympia artist, Nikki McClure. Each daily box for twenty months has a gardening tip for the Northwest gardener. Proceeds from the sale of this calendar go to support the Catlin Gabel Garden Club.
The cost of each calendar is $20, and Catlin Gabel community members may charge their accounts if they wish. Please drop by the front desk of your child's division to view this amazing calendar or email Carter Latendresse directly to purchase.
Thank you for your support.
Make an international friend this summer!
US concert final performance for beloved teacher
Thursday, May 31
7:30 p.m.
Cabell Center Theater
C. Glenn Burnett is not leaving Catlin Gabel, but this is his final year as choir director. He is moving into an administrative role in the Upper School next year where he will work with students on Winterim, community service, and yearbook, as well as teach some piano. Expect a crowd and alumni participation for Glenn's last night directing from this particular podium.
Catlin Gabel Under the Sun
Registration continues for Catlin Gabel Summer Programs
Classes and programs include arts and music, college and SAT prep, academics, robotics, outdoor education, cooking, and sports. Summer Beehive and the new Honey Hollow Adventure program for children entering 2nd through completed 4th grade, allow you to select times that work best with your summer schedule.
Register online! Come join us!
Laptop Program Showcase a Success!
The Laptop Program Showcase was a great success with a strong turnout of interested parents and students. Demonstrations of technology use in the curriculum were provided by many disciplines including Science, English, Media Arts, Computer Science, History, Music, and the Teaching and Learning Center. Parents and students had the opportunity to ask questions of both faculty and the IT Team.
For more information about Catlin Gabel Upper School Laptop Program visit our Laptop Program Page.
Class of 2012 college plans
» Video: seniors talk about
their college choices
Members of the class of 2012 were accepted to the following colleges and universities.
Unless otherwise noted, one student is attending each of the bolded colleges or universities.
|
Agnes Scott College |
Loyola University New Orleans |
Video: seniors talk about their college choices
Catlin Gabel seniors are excited to be off to college! Several students talk a bit about where they're going, and why their college choice is a good one for them.
» Link to class of 2012 list of college acceptances
Eli's going to Harvard!
Megan's going to Columbia!
Ramtin's going to Dartmouth!
Logan's going to Oregon State University Honors College!
Grace is going to Whitman College!
The Catlin Gabel Lower School Crier, May 18, 2012
Calendar
May
19 Hand to Hand 2012, 11-3, CGS
22-24 2nd grade class trip
24 3rd gr. Portfolio Night, 6:45 pm
25 *No classes, Report Writing Day
28 No classes, Memorial Day
29 4th gr. Portfolio Night, 6:00-8:00
30 2nd gr. Portfolio Night, 6:00-8:00 pm
31 Pet Show, 2:15-3:00 pm
June
1 1st grade overnight
4 Jump Up Day, 9:25 - 9:50 am
5 5th gr. Portfolio Night, 6:00-8:00 pm
7 Field Day, 12:15-2:15 pm, Track
7 Fifth Grade Graduation, 2:30-4:00 pm, LS Library
*After School Care available
New or changed items are in bold
Notes from Vicki.jpg)
Class Placement Form for 2012-2013 due Wednesday, June 6
An Important Reminder - Hand to Hand 2012
A Catlin Gabel Service Corp Enterprise
Saturday May 19, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Main parking lot
The focus of this event is to collect donations of food, clothing, essential household goods, and a variety of other small items that might be useful to nonprofit social service agencies and to draw attention to these agencies assisting low income individuals and families in our community. A LAST SECOND CHANGE IS THAT IF YOU HAVE SMALL FURNITURE ITEMS, BRING THESE--COMMUNITY WAREHOUSE CAN TAKE THEM
Requested items
Our partners
The power of having a growth mindset
by Jonathan Weedman, Beginning and Lower School Counselor
“I can’t do it.”
“It’s too hard.”
We hear these statements from children throughout the day. It’s not only a comment about the difficult task at hand, it is actually an opportunity to teach children about resiliency, how to take on challenges, how to make mistakes, and how to have a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset and teaching children how to solve problems leads to greater success and future ability to solve problems.
Carol Dweck of Stanford University asserts that teaching children that intelligence is not a “fixed” state helps them understand that through effort they can grow and become successful. This gives them a sense of control in their world. Intelligence is not something that you are just born with and you are lucky or not in the brain department. Instead, working to teach children to adopt a growth mindset will help them be more successful and more resilient. A growth mindset asserts that intelligence is not solely innate and that you can increase your capacity, “build your brain”, by working to learn new things. It encourages taking on new challenges in spite of potential failure. The state of mind promotes flexibility and engagement. A fixed mindset teaches children to care about being “smart” or “not smart.” This mindset inhibits learning and discourages taking learning risks, because if you can’t do something right away, the child equates it to not being smart. It’s not safe to try something that might be difficult.
What we know as adults is that no one becomes successful without work, risk, and failure. Making mistakes is a part of life and teaching children this is a powerful lesson. It is essential to teach children that life is full of challenges and indeed it is important how we tackle these challenges and how we bounce back from hardship. The message becomes practice makes better not practice makes perfect. Look for progress, not perfection.
Steps to fostering a growth mindset in children:
- Praise the process and effort, not the product. Say to children, “Wow, you worked really hard on that project” as opposed to “your project looks great.”
- Create and model a culture of making mistakes and learning from them.
- Help children identify when they have a fixed mindset and move them to a growth mindset.
- Model resilience and problem solving.
- Give children the opportunity to solve their own problems.
The End of Year Scoop from the Library
Annual Pet Show is Thursday, May 31!
From 2:15 until 3:00 pm we invite families to show off and share the joy of pets. While we are excited to welcome pets to campus, it is perfectly fine if your child does not bring a pet to school. There’s plenty of fun in being free to visit all the pet areas. Dogs go to the paddock (water will be provided in buckets), cats go to the science room, and other small pets go to the Art Barn. If your child is not able to physically bring a pet to school, they may bring a photograph of a pet to display in the Virtual Pet Gallery (pictures may come to school Thursday morning).
Field Day Volunteers Needed
Catlin Gabel Under the Sun - Classes are filling! Enroll today!
Northwest Gardening Calendars for Sale!
The Catlin Gabel Garden Club is selling twenty-month Northwest Gardening calendars that are beautifully illustrated with the cut-paper work of Upper School students. The artwork is inspired by the work of Olympia artist, Nikki McClure. Each daily box for twenty months has a gardening tip for the Northwest gardener. Proceeds from the sale of this calendar go to support the Catlin Gabel Garden Club. The cost of each calendar is $20, and Catlin Gabel community members may charge their accounts if they wish. Please drop by the front desk of your child's division to view this amazing calendar. Carter Latendresse has the bulk of them, and if you may email him directly at latendressec@catlin.edu to let him know that you want one, he will get the calendar to your child to bring home to you. Thank you.
PFA Appreciation BBQ
May 31, 5:00-7:00 pm, Barn Deck
After School Care News
This week in after school care:
Monday
Although Drop-In Chess has ended. Lower School chess players who are at After School Care on any day are welcome to engage in a friendly game.
No cost Volleyball Clinic for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade boys and girls is offered by the Upper School Volleyball Team and their coaches: 3:30-4:30 pm. No need to sign-up in advance, but do come to the Barn and sign in with ASC. Be at the main gym by 3:30 pm. At 4:30 pm, meet your ride home or sign-in to After-School Care. If your ride is more than 5 minutes late, return to ASC.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
ASC's All-Day program on May 25 bases on the idea of Olympic Games still has student spots available. Contact asc@catlin.edu by the end of the day Monday for more information or to request registration paperwork.
PLACE program featured in Oregonian article
Growing Minds
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“I can’t do it.”
“It’s too hard.”
We hear these statements from children throughout the day. It’s not only a comment about the difficult task at hand, it is actually an opportunity to teach children about resiliency, how to take on challenges, how to make mistakes, and how to have a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset and teaching children how to solve problems leads to greater success and future ability to solve problems.
Carol Dweck of Stanford University asserts that teaching children that intelligence is not a “fixed” state helps them understand that through effort they can grow and become successful. This gives them a sense of control in their world. Intelligence is not something that you are just born with and you are lucky or not in the brain department. Instead, working to teach children to adopt a growth mindset will help them be more successful and more resilient. A growth mindset asserts that intelligence is not solely innate and that you can increase your capacity, “build your brain”, by working to learn new things. It encourages taking on new challenges in spite of potential failure. The state of mind promotes flexibility and engagement. A fixed mindset teaches children to care about being “smart” or “not smart.” This mindset inhibits learning and discourages taking learning risks, because if you can’t do something right away, the child equates it to not being smart. It’s not safe to try something that might be difficult.
What we know as adults is that no one becomes successful without work, risk, and failure. Making mistakes is a part of life and teaching children this is a powerful lesson. It is essential to teach children that life is full of challenges and indeed it is important how we tackle these challenges and how we bounce back from hardship. The message becomes practice makes better not practice makes perfect. Look for progress, not perfection.
Steps to fostering a growth mindset in children:
- Praise the process and effort, not the product. Say to children, “Wow, you worked really hard on that project” as opposed to “your project looks great.”
- Create and model a culture of making mistakes and learning from them.
- Help children identify when they have a fixed mindset and move them to a growth mindset.
- Model resilience and problem solving.
- Give children the opportunity to solve their own problems.
A man's mistakes are his portals of discovery. - James Joyce
Open your heart and home to an exchange student
Catlin Gabel is honored to welcome exchange students to our community each year. Our exchange students are carefully selected merit scholars who are ready for Catlin Gabel’s academic and linguistic challenges.
We host these kids with the goal of learning as much from them as we can. Our community benefits deeply as our exchange students push us to question assumptions and broaden our perspectives. If you are interested in hosting an exchange student, please read our Q&A and contact Spencer White with questions.
Year-Long Upper School Exchange Students
Belén Placencia Levenfeld, from Spain, is 15 years old and comes to us through the ASSIST program, which selects students by merit for placement in U.S. independent schools. She will attend CG as a sophomore for the entire academic year. Her interviewers said that, “Belén (or Belu) will bring to her American school a sharp mind, a strong work ethic, and an impressive record of academic achievement. Belén also has strong athletic interests and talents. In addition, she thoroughly enjoys acting in school drama productions, is currently attending an acting school in Madrid, and even thinks of theater as something she would like to have at the center of her adult life. We found Belu to be an adventurous girl, with sharp sense of humor evident, very pleasant and engaging, with lots of interests.”
Xiaotian Zhang, from Shanghai, China, also comes to us through the ASSIST program. She is an all-star student at Fudan High School with a penchant for international relations and English. Xiaotian has traveled to Great Britain and Japan and is involved in singing, ballet, traditional Chinese dance, street dance, and ceramics. She participates in MUN, is a member of the school debate team, and is a cheerleader. In her personal statement Xiaotian says, “My dreams are simple but require resolute determination and constant hard work. I want to make the world a better place. I want the world to see me one day.”
Mpho Bowie-Molefe comes to us from Maru-a-Pula School (MaP) in Gaborone, Botswana, as our sixth MaP Scholar. Our relationship with MaP has been one of mutual respect and admiration as they continue to send us globally minded students of impressively high academic and interpersonal caliber. Mpho is here for the entire 12th grade academic year. “Mpho is a rare quality student,” said his interviewers. “He is wonderfully engaging, admired by his peers and a perceptive and capable learner. It is not often that you find students as well balanced as Mpho is; he is a star athlete on the school rugby team and an effortless, academically capable student that is always willing to give of himself.” Mpho is dedicated to several community service projects, including a service project where he taught primary school children in a disadvantaged area of Gaborone how to read. He has been part of a group of senior students who raised funds and delivered food packages and grocery items to poor families on the outskirts of the city. Mpho would like to become an engineer with a specific focus on developing green energy technologies for Africa.
Short-Term Guatemalan Upper School Students
Experiencias Interculturales Program
October 21 – December 15
Luis Esteban Greñas Vettorazzi, 15, will spend two months as part of our freshman class. He is excited to spend time with a “real” American family, improve his English skills, and experience Portland culture. Luis is a photographer, the main journalist of his school newspaper, and a lover of nature and animals. He is a determined and outspoken young man who’s not afraid to speak his mind on any number of topics.
Andrea María Reyes López, 17, will join our junior class. Her parents, both in the medical field, are eager for Andrea to take this step toward independence, improve her English skills, and meet American peers. She was class president last year and this year, school council president. She is described as “concerned about others,” as seen in her consistent weekend trips to see both sets of grandparents. She is also a dancer, an artist, and a lover of music.
Short-Term Guatemalan Middle School Students
Experiencias Interculturales Program
October 21 – December 15
Xim-Mei Ju Li, 13, is one of two Guatemalan students who will spend two months in our Middle School as a 7th grader during her own summer vacation. Xim is trilingual in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Her interests include tennis, soccer, squash, racquetball, reading, and watching movies. She loves Taylor Swift and everything country music. Xim wants to augment her global travels (having been to China once) and improve her English.
Jorge José Trujillo Herrera, 14, will join us as an 8th grader. Jorge is especially keen on staying with a family with a host brother. He has a mellow demeanor, is a natural athlete, and takes a lot of pride in balancing his academics with sports. Jorge comes from a close-knit family that is involved with the church and spending ample time with their extended family. He is eager to improve his English ability in his 60-day stay with us.
Chris Skrapits named district coach of the year
In his first season as head track and field coach, Chris was selected tops in the district.
Girls track team wins district championship
The district meet saw standout performances and personal records for a number of students. The boys placed 3rd – their best showing in years – and 17 students are advancing to state.
Peek at the Week for May 18-25, 2012
May
| 18 | 7th grade Step Up Coffee, 10:20-11:20am in the middle school library |
| 18 | Middle School Coffee House, 7-8:15pm |
| 19 | Hand to Hand community service event |
| 24 | 8th grade musical dress rehearsal, Cabell Theater |
| 25 | 8th grade musical opening night, Cabell Theater |
| 28 | Memorial Day, no school |
| 29-6/1 | 7th grade class trip to Mt. St. Helen's |
| 29-6/2 | 8th grade class trip to the San Juan Islands |
June
| 1 | 7th grade class trip returns |
| 2 | 8th grade class trip returns |
| 4 | 8th grade musical closing night, Cabell Theater. Admission charged |
| 6 | Middle School Service |
| 6 | 6th grade portfolio night |
| 7 | 8th grade ceremony, Cabell Theater, 6:30pm. Photographer available in Beginning School courtyard at 5:30pm. Reception follows ceremony in Middle School Commons |
| 8 | Last day of school, full day of school |
MSSA News
MSSA Elections
Athletic News
Math News
MS Coffee House – Tonight, May 18th
7:00 - 8:15pm in the Middle School
An Important Reminder - Hand to Hand 2012
A Catlin Gabel Service Corp Enterprise
Saturday May 19, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Main parking lot—Collection tables will be available in the LS (outside the library) and the MS as of Wednesday, May 16, if you cannot attend next Saturday.
The focus of this event is to collect donations of food, clothing, essential household goods, and a variety of other small items that might be useful to nonprofit social service agencies and to draw attention to these agencies assisting low income individuals and families in our community. In addition, several agencies have taken advantage of Nance Leonhardt's offer have her media arts class produce films for the participating agencies.
Requested items
Our partners
Catlin Gabel under the sun!
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PFA Appreciation Barbecue, 5 – 7 p.m.
Spanish-speaking Guatemalan students with us October-December 2012!
Garden Club news
