January 19, 2010
Calendar
January
21 PFA Meeting, 8:15 - 10:00 am., Gerlinger, Topic: Raising our Daughters and Sons: It Really Does Take a Village
22 Winter Parade, ≈ 8:40 a.m., before Friday Sing
Viewfinder Global Film Series
February
12 *No Kindergarten Classes - Kindergarten Admissions Day
15 NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day
March
4-5 *No BS/LS Classes - Parent - Teacher Conferences
13 GAMBOL
20 - 28 No School - Spring Break
29 Classes Resume
April
30 Spring Parade
*Prearranged childcare available as space permits
Heads-up!
•Remember to sign up for the Golden Box
•The star words for this week are 
•Valentine Alert!
Next week we will begin the addressing and mailing of valentines at school. Over the years the teachers have saved boxes of valentines to be used in the classroom. You can help by sending in a box of valentines and/or envelopes. We need them by next Monday. Thank you.
Don’t forget The Winter Parade on Friday at 8:40, before Friday Sing!
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Dear Parents,
We hope you had a restful and peaceful weekend. Our Monday holiday was the perfect opportunity to talk to the children last week about the life of Martin Luther King and the contribution he has made to our lives. The discussion was the perfect chance for the Eagles to reflect about how they could make the world a better place. We read a thoughtful book called, Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace. Each Eagle created a page for a class book that shows how he/she could make the world a better place. The contributions were wonderful! Somewhere Today…by the Eagles will be on our bookshelf soon!
The children have so enjoyed watching our two amaryllis bulbs grow! This week we will introduce another opportunity for watching and wondering. We will start a crystal garden made from charcoal, bluing, salt, food coloring and ammonia. We ask, “How do you suppose those ingredients grew into crystals?” And, “What is a crystal?” Our kindergarten is full of so many questions, and we are the lucky teachers who get to hear the students' stories and theories. Be sure to stop by the classroom and see the children’s theories about snow!
This week during math group times, we will begin to learn to correctly write the italic numerals. We use a variety of methods – “sky-writing” with our fingers, cornmeal trays, chalk, paper, pencils…Many children have reversals when writing numerals at this age. It is very common, so not to worry! We continue to work on writing the lowercase letters and are encouraging the children to begin writing their names using lowercase letters. You can practice at home.
HAVE A HAPPY WEEK!
The Kindergarten Team
PFA General Meeting with Kathie Masarie, M.D.
Thursday, January 21st, 8:15 - 10:00 a.m.
Gerlinger Hall
Raising our Daughters and Sons: It Really Does Take a Village
a talk by Kathy Masarie, M.D., author of Raising our Daughters and Raising our Sons
“We live in a culture that pulls families in different directions, sometimes towards influences we do not value. Plus family alone isn’t enough. Kids need to feel like their community cares about and values them, have connections to other adults, be empowered by volunteer opportunities, be inspired to learn, make good choices in friendships… all of these are built outside the family. In this seminar, learn about the evidence-based programs on how parents can create a thriving family. You’ll learn how all of us can build the connections within our neighborhoods, schools, and families to create a healthy network of support for our kids to become strong, resilient, capable, responsible, and caring young adults.”
Spring Festival Planning Meeting
Do you love Spring Festival? Do you have ideas to improve it? Would you like to see different food venders or different activities? If so, we have a great opportunity for you…
The first Spring Festival Planning Meeting will begin at 8:30 am on Wednesday, January 20th in the Jubitz Room. The meeting will last about 11/2 hours and we will be picking this year’s theme so come with ideas! If you are looking for a way to get involved with the school, here is a great opportunity to make connections and learn about event planning. If you have experience organizing and throwing GREAT parties, this is the volunteer event to sign up for. We are still looking for the next official Spring Festival Coordinator, so if you are interested in this great event please come to the meeting. Spring Festival will be held on Sunday, May 2nd from noon to 4pm, rain or shine (we always hope for shine!).
If you cannot make it to the meeting and would like to help the committee, please email me at k.reich@comcast.net . We will be sure to keep you in the loop.
Viewfinder Global Film Series 
Friday, Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m.
Childcare is available for potty-trained children ages 3 and up
Films:
Viva Cuba (80 min) (young audience... ages 7 and up) A Cuban independent film that explores emigration and the effects it can have on children who have to leave friends and extended families behind.
Lost Son of Havana (102 min) After 46 years in exile, former major league baseball star Luis Tiant returns to Cuba, where he encounters unexpected demons and receives unexpected gifts from his family.
Catlin Gabel Student Bus Service
As we begin the second half of our school year, we would like to take this opportunity to remind families of the Catlin Gabel Student Bus Service and to inform you of a few changes to the program.
In October 2009, we added an afternoon route for SE Portland which includes the same two morning stops and adds a third stop at the Oregon Ballet Theater. This stop is ONLY in the afternoon. You will find the current routes and stops posted on the Catlin web site as well as the guidelines and required documents for riding the bus:
http://www.catlin.edu/parents/bus-service
Additionally, we are very excited to be able to offer half-year passes, a morning-only pass and a family plan. New fees as of January 22, 2010 are as follows:
$ 800.00 Annual pass (unlimited rides Sept 2009-Jun 2010)
$1,200.00 Annual family pass (two or more siblings)
$ 400.00 Annual pass (morning only rides)
$ 600.00 Annual family pass (two or more siblings ~ morning only rides)
$ 400.00 Half-year pass (unlimited rides Jan 22-Jun 2010)
$ 600.00 Half-year family pass (unlimited rides two or more siblings)
$ 200.00 Half-year pass (morning only rides)
$ 300.00 Half-year family pass (two or more siblings ~ morning only rides)
$ 4.00 Single ride fee
$ 6.00 Single ride family fee (two or more siblings)
Should you have questions about the bus service, questions regarding the above fees or would like to purchase a half-year pass at this time, please contact Chris Balag in the business office:
balagc@catlin.edu or 503-297-1894 ext. 274
We would like to encourage participation in our Student Bus Service. Why not take an active part in making our school more sustainable!
