Campus Day

Friday, April 16, 1:45-3:00 pm

Next Friday we will reunite with our Experiential Days groups and work together to beautify our campus. This is our way of giving back to our community and allows us to reconnect with the new friends we made during Experiential Days. Dress for dirt. We provide work gloves, but if your child brings his/her own, be sure to label clearly.

Picking up your child on Campus Day

Students will not return to their classrooms. Please note that it will be difficult to pass along messages of last minute change of plans. Please call Julie before 1:30 pm on this day.

Dismissal is at 3:00 pm

• Grades 1-4 will meet on the Barn deck. We will have large signs so children can gather by grade level.

• Grade 5 will meet on the 5th grade deck.

Volunteers needed for snack time!

This is the most popular moment of the day and you can be part of it! We need about 4 parents to distribute the snack when everyone comes back to the Barn after completeing their work. If you want to be a Campus Day hero, please email Julie. Thank you very much!

Spring Festival, May 2

Sunday, May 2, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Please come join your child at the Spring Festival! Your child has been dancing dances and singing songs from all over the world and will share them on that day.

Performance Schedule:

1st graders: Report to the 1st grade by 12:15, Maypole dance will be at 12:30.

2nd graders: Report to the music room by 11:45. Performance will be at 12:45.

3rd graders: Report to the music room by 1:30. Performance will be at 1:50.

4th graders: Report to the music room by 2:25. Performance will be at 2:30.

5th graders: Report to the music room by 3:00 pm. Performance will be at 3:15.

String ensemble: Valdine will send more details. Performance is at 1:30.

Please dress your children in festive attire. Performances will be held in the Barn.

Dress Suggestions:

Boys: Clean dress pants or dress shorts and a collar shirt

Girls: Festive dresses, skirts, skorts, dress pants

Fifth graders: Black bottoms and white tops

Please confirm your child's participation by emailing Peggy McDonnell. Thanks!!

Bicycle clinic and information evening

April 21, 7:00 - 8:30 pm, Middle School Commons

Go greener. Get healthier. Find the fun in bike riding. Come to the Middle School Commons on Wednesday, April 21, from 7 to 8:30 pm, to learn about bicycle safety, handling, fixing, and purchasing from our guest Brian Lacey of BikeEMPOWERED.

As spring weather improves, this is the time to learn the skills and strategies for safe bike commuting and bike maintenance. Feel free to bring your own bike for an assessment. Parents, students and friends are welcome to join us for this free workshop.

For more information contact Len Carr at carrl@catlin.edu or 503 297 1894 ext. 406.

Visiting Irish Dancing Troupe

An Irish dancing troupe performed for the Lower School community meeting last Friday, impressing our students with their precision, speed and skill.

College counselors present two free events for Portland students and families

College counselors Kate Grant and Nancy Donehower provide expertise and insight to Portland families who seek guidance about the college search process. This outreach event is a way for Catlin Gabel to share one of our strongest programs with students and parents who have limited access to college counseling services. The program is free and open to the public. Tell your friends and neighbors.

Monday, April 12, 6:30 pm
Hollywood Library, 4040 NE Tillamook, Portland 97212

Tuesday, May 4, 6:30 pm
Hillsdale Library, 1525 SW Sunset Blvd., Portland 97239

Calling all gardeners!

Help us make this year's (free) Plant Exchange a success by starting to gather divisions, starts and seedlings from your yard. They can be stored at school beginning April 26. Please label all plants and please no invasives. Many thanks!

Contact contact Marjorie with any questions at  Dialmdial@mindspring.com

Laptop program showcase

April 28, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Upper School Library

Do you want to know more about the Upper School laptop program? How are laptops used for schoolwork? Should you buy a Mac or PC? What are the latest laptop models? How does purchasing through Catlin Gabel work? Learn all the ins and outs of the laptop program at the seventh annual laptop program showcase.

Discover the many ways audio and video tools introduce modern language concepts. View student film projects from the media arts classes. See how social networking tools are used in a variety of classes including English and history. Students, find out how you can participate in the robotics program and learn about computer languages taught in programming class.

Take the new Lenovo and Apple laptops for test drives. Talk to IT staff about the pros and cons of each model. Get the scoop on accessories available for purchase with your laptop.

Catlin Gabel information technology staff members will be available to answer questions and provide laptop ordering information. Light snacks and giveaways will be available!

The showcase is geared toward new students and incoming freshmen, current Upper School students, and parents, but we also encourage any interested students, parents, faculty, and staff to attend. You won’t want to miss this event! Please mark your calendar now!

The Parent-Faculty Association nominations

The Parent-Faculty Association (PFA) will be accepting nominations from March 1, 2010 until April 15, 2010 for the 2010-11 school year.
 

Anyone interested can apply. The PFA welcomes parents who are new to the school and parents who have not considered leadership involvement before. Generally, it is best to start out by volunteering as a grade representative before serving on the executive council. Nominating yourself is encouraged.

Please e-mail pfa@catlin.edu  to nominate a candidate (including yourself) for any of the following positions:

• Grade representatives (preschool through twelfth)
• Volunteer coordinator
• Advisor to Council
• Beginning School coordinator
• Lower School coordinator
• Communications coordinator
• Treasurer
• Vice president
• Spring Festival Coordinator 2010-2011

Salmon Release

About 35 fourth graders and their family members met at Vicki and Paul's home last weekend to release 10,000 baby Coho salmon into Salmon Creek. This is the sixth year that Paul and Vicki have participated in a program to increase the salmon population in Salmon Creek in Vancouver. The hope is that half of the one percent return in three years to lay their eggs and repeat the life cycle. The salmon were a little over an inch long at the time of release. Fourth graders studied endangered speciece this year so were invited over to be part of the process.

After-School Care News

Lower School After-School Activities next week include: 

• Monday Chess Club for experienced Chess players meets in the Barn after School, 3:30-5:00 pm.

• Tuesday after-school Homework Club for 4th and 5th graders whose parents have made advance arrangements with Sue Sacks, LS Learning Specialist.  Students report to the Barn for snack before 3:30 pm. HWC is billed by the session attended and lasts until 5:00 pm.
 
• Wednesday LS Strings Ensemble Playing Group will meet right after school from 3:15-4:00 pm in the US Choir room.

• Wednesday Individual Strings Lessons as scheduled afternoons.

• Thursday Chess for Learners meets in the Barn after school 3:30-5:00 pm. 

• Fusion Yoga meets in the LS Library at 3:15-4:00 pm on Friday.

• Spring Robotics for Middle School students and 5th Graders begins next week.  Participants must be pre-registered.  They may attend one or two days/week 3:15-5:00 pm M-Th.  Students must be picked up promptly at the Nutshell lab or at the curb by 5:05 pm, or go to After-School Care at that time. The robotics fee of $195 will be billed to your Catlin Gabel account if students are still a member of the group on Friday, April 23rd. 

Also After School: Girl Scouts  The Grade 2 Girl Scouts will meet this week. Girl Scout groups in Grades 4 and 5 will not meet this week.

Lower School Strings Players

LS Strings players who wish to perform at Spring Festival this year must be in at least their 2nd year of strings study and must attend practices on at least 2 of the following 3 Wednesday afternoon from 3:15-4:00 pm: 4/14, 4/21 & 4/28. In addition, players must pick-up the sheet music from Peggy McDonnell by 4/12 and memorize it by 4/14. Students should bring a snack from home. If not picked up by 4:00 pm, they will go to after school care.

This program is administered by After School Care.  To obtain registration paperwork, email Ginny Malm.  For questions regarding Spring Festival requirements and performance, contact Peggy McDonnell.

EXPERIENTIAL DAYS NEWS

Fossil Hunting – Rock Climbing – Outdoor Art – Fly Fishing – Pets & Vets –
ABCs of Japan – Drawing – Skiing/Snowshoeing/Snowboarding – Photography –
and more!

Four days of focused learning is brought to you by the Annual Fund. Make your donation http://www.catlin.edu/giving/annual  and participate today.