Peek at the Week January 7-14, 2010
January 7, 2010January 7-14, 2010
January
| 8 |
Middle School Coffee House - CANCELLED |
| 13 | Middle School Service |
| 15 | Last day to register at Mt. Hood Meadows for Catlin Gabel Ski Bus program |
| 18 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, no school |
| 22 | Middle School dance, 7-10:00pm in the Barn |
| 22 | Viewfinder Global Film Series, 6:30pm |
| 25 | Basketball begins for 6th graders |
Notes from Middle School Head, Paul Andrichuk
Parent Night—Health and Wellness
Please join us on Thursday, January 14 from 7—8:30pm for the third of five parent evenings on health and wellness. We’ll be joined by Emily Moser.
Emily Moser is director of parenting programs at Oregon Partnership, a statewide nonprofit that provides substance abuse prevention education and treatment referral.
Emily will share information about the rates of underage drinking in Oregon (often referenced among 8th and 11th graders) as well as the adverse health effects of this.
Most importantly, she will give us parenting advice about how to start this proactive conversation with our kids.
Facebook Workshops
Next Wednesday, following Service Learning, Middle School will be hearing several different discussions about Facebook. These will be led by faculty, the Information Technology Department, and US students.
Student surveys over the course of the last three years have indicated that more Middle School students have Facebook accounts, with the biggest increase occurring between 6th and 7th grades.
At the same time, there are students who do not fully understand Facebook. This includes important things like how to use privacy settings, what “apps" are, and how information is mined from Facebook.
I’d to emphasize that we are trying to take a neutral position here. Facebook is the most widely used social networking site among tweens and teens. Our goal is to insure that students fully understand what they are doing, both short and long-term.
At the same time, many of you do not want your children exposed to this. We will have an optional study hall after the first session, if you would like your child to not hear this information. Below is the schedule for the afternoon.
12:45—1:15—All Middle School—What is Facebook and why does it exist?
1:30—2:15
6th grade—What should I know about Facebook before I consider setting up an account?
7th grade—Who am I presenting on Facebook and what can people learn about me?
8th grade—What are apps and how do you use them?
2:20—3:05
6—Advisory—The 6th grade will not go to a second workshop.
7—What are apps and how do you use them?
8-- Who am I presenting on Facebook and what can people learn about me?
In order to keep parents better informed, there will be a parent evening on Thursday, January 28th beginning at 7:00pm to share this information.
School Supply Drive—The last day is Tuesday, January 12th
Brittany Douglas, an alumna from the class of 2002 will be traveling in mid-January to live and work in Tanzania in mid-January. Before her departure she will be gathering supplies (see below) and came to a Middle School assembly. The name of the US-based non-profit organization is the Tanzanian Children's Fund (TCF), which secures local funding for the programs run by the affiliated Rift Valley Children's Village (RVCV) in Tanzania. The URL to their website is: www.tanzanianchildrensfund.org.
The Rift Valley Children's Village is a refuge for street children who have been orphaned or abandoned. At the village, the children receive food, shelter, health care, a holistic education and most importantly, love and nurturing. Sixty nine children live in the village, which is located in the Karatu district of Tanzania and attend the local primary and secondary schools (funded by TCF and run by RVCV), with educational systems that are accredited by the Tanzanian government.
At an assembly on Monday, January 4th, Brittany presented some basic information about Tanzania, introduce TCF and possibly show a brief informational video from the website. Brittany has included a list of items that would be most useful at the village and in the schools.
Tanzanian Children’s Fund--Supply Wish List
1. Children’s and infants’ over-the counter chewable medications (i.e. Tylenol
Cold and Cough, TUMS…etc.)
2. First-aid supplies (i.e. Band-Aids especially the larger sizes, alcohol and/or
betadine wipes, gauze, tape, antibiotic cream, hydrogen peroxide, q-tips…etc.)
3. Twin bed sheets, flat and fitted, and pillowcases
4. Quilts/blankets
5. Fleece clothing, particularly jackets
6. Rain gear, particularly jackets
7. Shoes
8. Sneakers
9. Pajamas
10.Socks, preferably dark colors (so the dirt won’t show)
11.Boys’ boxer shorts and girls’ underwear
12.Sweatshirts
13.Puzzles and other critical thinking games (i.e. memory games)
14.Arts and crafts supplies (i.e. construction paper, pipe cleaners, sidewalk chalk,
markers…etc.)
15.Sports equipment (soccer balls, volleyballs, shin guards…etc.)
16.Back packs
17.Pencils, pens, erasers
18.Notebooks, lined paper, and alphabet paper
Parent discussion Groups—There is still room
Please join us for one of two books groups for parents, facilitated by Paul Andrichuk and Lynn Silbernagel, the MS Librarian. This will be a time to discuss parenting and learning for students at the Middle School.
If you are interested please email Paul with your choice. We are happy to order the book and charge these to your account.
Here are the books and short summaries of them.
Not Much, just Chillin’: The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers, by Linda Perlstein
From Publishers Weekly:
In contrast to the recent spate of books that focus on bullying (e.g., Rosalind Wiseman's Queen Bees and Wannabees and Rachel Simmons's Odd Girl Out), Washington Post education reporter Perlstein examines all facets of being an ordinary "tween." She discusses such issues as consumerism (according to Perlstein, 12- to 15-year-olds spend on average $59 a week, not counting money their parents spend on them); romance, which doesn't necessarily imply the couple ever spends time alone together; and the phenomenon of instant messaging-all to give parents of young children an idea of what lies ahead. True, much can be learned from reading catalogues and magazines geared specifically to preteens, like Delia's catalogue, CosmoGIRL! and YM, but Perlstein delves deeper into how boys and girls view life by tracking five students at Wilde Lake Middle School in Columbia, Md., a "rough" suburban school in an affluent area. Her subjects include the likable eighth-grader Eric Ellis, who is very bright and very bored, and seventh-graders Jackie Taylor, who is learning to deal with crushes on boys, and Elizabeth Ginsburg, whose favorite answer to her parents' questions is "nothing." There are also sixth-graders Jimmy Schissel, who is unhappy with his changing body, and Lily Mason, who worries about wearing-and doing-the right thing. In addition to details about the children's confirmations, bat mitzvahs, friendships and homework, Perlstein interweaves information about how middle-school children learn best and what parents can do to help.
Nurtureshock: New Thinking about Children, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
From Publishers Weekly:
The central premise of this book by Bronson (What Should I Do with My Life?) and Merryman, a Washington Post journalist, is that many of modern society's most popular strategies for raising children are in fact backfiring because key points in the science of child development and behavior have been overlooked. Two errant assumptions are responsible for current distorted child-rearing habits, dysfunctional school programs and wrongheaded social policies: first, things work in children the same way they work in adults and, second, positive traits necessarily oppose and ward off negative behavior. These myths, and others, are addressed in 10 provocative chapters that cover such issues as the inverse power of praise (effort counts more than results); why insufficient sleep adversely affects kids' capacity to learn; why white parents don't talk about race; why kids lie; that evaluation methods for giftedness and accompanying programs don't work; why siblings really fight (to get closer). Grownups who trust in old-fashioned common-sense child-rearing—the definitely un-PC variety, with no negotiation or parent-child equality—will have less patience for this book than those who fear they lack innate parenting instincts. The chatty reportage and plentiful anecdotes belie the thorough research backing up numerous cited case studies, experts' findings and examination of successful progressive programs at work in schools.
These will always run from 8:30—9:30am, with the location TBA.
Dates:
Monday, 1/25
Monday, 2/1
Monday, 2/8
Monday, 22
Monday, 3/1
OPB Airing Program: Raising Cain: Boys in Focus, with Psychologist and Author Michael Thompson
There is an OPB airing of Michael Thompson, a psychologist who has done a lot of work with independent schools, talking about his work with boys in school. His book, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, looks at the question: What do boys need that they're not getting in school? He makes a case that boys are often emotionally mis-educated and that emotional literacy may be the most valuable gift we can offer our boys. The culture’s view of manhood is limited and limiting, and boys need help navigating the social and emotional challenges this presents.
Those of us who have heard Dr. Thompson speak know that he is funny, engaging, and knowledgeable. Even though much of what he addresses is about older boys, we know our little boys will be in Middle School before we turn around! We recommend Dr. Thompson’s insights and thought-provoking take on what we can do to support our boys better.
Channel OPB
Raising Cain: Problems that beset boys, including poor school performance.
Thursday January 7, 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 10, 2:00 am
Sunday, January 10, 1:00 pm
Middle School Coffee House Cancelled
Please note that the middle school Coffee House scheduled for tomorrow evening has been cancelled. There were not enough students who could perform or attend to make this a viable entertaining evening. We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause.
Catlin Gabel Ski Bus
The Catlin Gabel ski bus program is just about ready to hit the slopes! Our first Saturday morning of our six week program is February 6th. The good news is that it’s not too late to sign up and we have plenty of room for more skiers and boarders. Sign up and payment for this program is different than in years past. This year Mt. Hood Meadows sign up and payment is online, but transportation by Catlin Gabel school bus is paid directly to Catlin Gabel and is an additional $150 for the six weeks. The Catlin Gabel website has the downloadable Catlin Gabel ski bus forms and a link to the Meadows online registration system. You can also pick up the Catlin forms in the middle school office. Any questions can be directed to Kathy Sloan, Len Carr at ex. 406, or Chris Bell at ex. 403. Financial aid will be available.
Facebook Privacy Settings
Facebook has implemented new privacy settings that make it much easier to broadly share your personal information. If you accept Facebook's recommended privacy settings, Facebook will make your status updates, links, photos, videos, and notes available to the entire Internet (think Google). I recommend that you instead manually adjust your settings. Select Settings -> Privacy Settings from the blue menu bar and review the options in there.
In addition, third-party Facebook applications have free access to information you have marked for “everyone.” You cannot stop that except to remove those applications from your profile.
The following article explains the change in greater detail: http://tinyurl.com/fbprivacy20091209
Although Facebook limits accounts to people age 13 and older, I understand that some sixth grade students have them. I encourage parents to consider the privacy implications before helping a student under the age of 13 to create a Facebook account.
- Richard Kassissieh (kassissiehr@catlin.edu)
What’s Next?
Before winter break Lark sent you an e-mail invitation to the What’s Next? community workshop <http://www.catlin.edu/all-school/whats-next> on Saturday, January 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. RSVPs are required by January 8. Don’t forget to sign up if you are interested in helping the school figure out what’s next after Rummage.
Viewfinder Global Film Series
Be part of a dynamic, interactive evening that merges art, culture, diversity and global issues.
Friday, Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m.
Childcare is available for potty-trained children ages 3 and up.
It is possible for your family to attend this film series and your middle schooler to attend the middle school dance in the Barn. For this night only, middle schoolers, whose families are attending the film series, may come to the Village area under the Barn at 6:30pm and wait with a faculty member until the dance begins. We ask that you please accompany your middle schooler to the Village and check in with the faculty member before leaving for the film series.
Over 135 people participated in our November screening.
Films:
Viva Cuba (80 min) (young audience... ages 7 and up)
Viva Cuba is a Cuban independent film that explores emigration and the effects it can have on children who have to leave friends and extended families behind.
El Camino (90 min)
This movie will be hosted by the 8th grade Spanish students traveling to Costa Rica in March of 2010. This film deals with the cultural tensions the exist between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
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.
Hosts: Roberto Villa,Spencer White, Nance Leonhardt