May 21, 2010

What's coming up?

May

27   2nd gr. Portfolio Night

28   *No classes, Report Writing Day

31   No classes, Memorial Day

June

1    3rd gr. Portfolio Night

3    4th gr. Immigration Storyline event, 5:30-7:45 pm

4   Field Day Volunteer Mtg., 8:30 am, LS faculty lounge

4    1st gr. overnight, Catlin Gabel Please Note: 11:30 dismissal for first graders only, no exceptions

7    Jump Up Day, 9:25-9:50 am

8    5th gr. Portfolio Night, 6:30-8:00 pm

8   4th gr. French Storyline presentation, 5:30- 7:00 pm, French Rm.

9    Pet Day, 2:00-3:00 pm

10  Field Day, 12:10-2:15 pm, Track

10  5th gr. graduation, 2:30-3:15, LS Library

11  Disco Friday, 8:00-8:20 am

11  Last day of school!!! Full day

 

*After School Care Available

Note: New or changed items will appear in bold.

 

 

You can find the annual Parent Report for Class Placement on the Lower School web page by clicking here and scrolling down. It is for you to fill out to help provide information about your child that helps us make the final placement. It is due back to Vicki by Tuesday, June 1. You know your child best, so we ask you three questions: What are your child’s strengths as a learner? What are your child’s challenges as a learner? What other information should we take into account as we consider your child’s placement for next year?

 

Keep in mind this is not a request for a specific teacher. Instead, you are giving us information that keeps us informed about your child as we go about creating two balanced classroom groupings. Know also that you do not need to fill out the form at all — we will use our knowledge about your child to the best of our ability to help with his/her placement for next year if we do not receive a form from you. Class lists will be mailed to you in mid-August.

 

I am confident that your child’s experience next year is going to be a positive one. Our teachers are masters who have a passion for teaching, build strong relationships with children and parents, and breathe life into the curriculum.

 

--Happy, happy, happy children engaged in whatever was next on the schedule.
--Elaborate journal entries telling about the many things the students had learned about the native Americans and early pioneers in Oregon.
--Two delightful hours around the camp fire (yes, rain-and-wind-free!) roasting marshmallows, eating s’mores, hearing Mr. Science tell a story, and applauding for skits. Never mind that the humor in these child-created skits wouldn’t even register on most richtor scales; they were ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS to the children. Being reminded of what seven and eight year olds think is funny is truly good for the adult soul and everyone should get a shot of it periodically throughout their lives. Okay, my bias. Probably why I’m in this profession.
--Children and adults playing and having fun together.
--Well organized meals and activities; children able to make responsible choices during “free time.”

Highlights from a sampling of the children themselves:
--The dead squirrel. There was no end of fascination about the flattened and bloodied squirrel that had presumably been run over by an unsuspecting vehicle on the road in the park.
--Sleeping in the yurts. Sleeping on bunks/futons in sleeping bags in the dark with your friends with the sound of rain on the yurt roofs was downright intoxicating. How does it get better than that?!
--Seeing some wildlife. They saw several newts on one hike and there was no end of chatter about this “find.”
--Singing the “Fishes in the Sky” song that the kids made up over and over and over and over again. One only needed to recite one phrase of this one-phrase diddy and the children would dissolve in laughter.
--Saying “THAT WAS EASY!” when the whole trip was over. What a glorious feeling to know that you made it through the worries and anxiety — and found yourself in a place where you didn’t want it to end!

The kids were higher than kites during our pizza lunch back at school, talking and laughing with their teachers, parents and peers. A line dance spontaneously erupted and circled round and round the second grade classroom. Wonder how long it will take them to realize how exhausted they really are?!

It is humbling and thrilling as educators to know that we are building memories with our students, many of which will quite literally last a lifetime. We know that these experiential opportunities burn deep in their memories — we just don’t always know which parts burn the deepest. Thank you for letting your children have these experiences.

Please welcome Janet Chiu to the Lower School faculty. Janet comes to us from Californa where she is finishing up her Master of Arts in Chinese Bilingual Teaching Education at Loyola Marymount University. She also holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching Second Language from Cal State and a Bachelor of Arts in International Business. Janet has taught Mandarin Chinese to all ages ranging from elementary students to working professionals. She was born and raised in Taiwan. When she visited Catlin Gabel she taught a demonstration lesson with Lower School students and actively engaged them in learning. In her spare time she enjoys movies, music and theater. The committee enjoyed spending time with her and found her to be knowledgeable, conscientious and personable.

 

Note: You will receive overdue notices by e-mail. These are auto-formatted and include the word “fines.” We do not charge overdue fines, so don’t worry. (Just send chocolate.)

 

Please, always let us know of any questions or concerns you have about the overdue list. The circulation process involves technology, so errors happen. (OK, so there could be an operator error, now and then.)

 

If your child says, “I am SURE I returned that!”… experience shows that the child is probably right. This is SO easy to fix once we know, because we will find the book on the shelf (still checked out!) Please inform us of this immediately so we can correct the computer!    

 

If your child says, “I never checked that out!”…experience shows that most likely your child is having a senior moment. Usually the book turns up (under the bed? in the classroom?) and the child says, “Oh! THAT book!” (If only I had a dollar for every time…)

 

Note: it is possible that items may have been returned an hour or two after the e-mail notices were sent. Relax; it won’t appear on the next exciting update!

 

BILLING FOR LOST BOOKS: We deal with lost items on a case-by-case basis depending on many factors. If you think it’s lost for good, talk to us.

 

Lower School After-School Activities next week include: 

 

• Tuesday after-school Homework Club will meet for 4th and 5th graders whose parents have made advance arrangements with Sue Sacks. Students report to the Barn for snack before 3:30 pm. HWC is billed monthly for sessions attended and lasts until 5:00 pm. This is the final week that the group will meet this school year.

 

• Wednesday LS Strings Ensemble Playing Group  meets right after school 3:15-4:00 pm in the US Choir Room. Students should bring a snack from home. If not picked up by 4:00 pm students will go to ASC.

 

• Individual Strings Lessons as scheduled Wednesday afternoons.

 

• Spring Robotics for 5th Graders continues this week for pre-registered participants.

  

Some student spots remain available on Friday, May 28, a day when there will be no Beginning or Lower School classes. If you are interested in the ASC all-day program Swinging and Splashing into Summer which includes a field to enjoy the SW Community Swimming Pool email Ginny Malm  to let her know by Monday morning, May 24 at the latest.

 

As we ease into the final weeks of School, the pace accelerates as we all know all too well. Remember that After-School Care can be your “Plan B” when things get hectic. We are flexible and want to help you simplify, if we can. Call 503.297.1894 ext. 666 with children’s schedule changes (ASC or bus) by 1:00 pm, or call Ginny directly at ext. 353 after that time.          

From 2:00 to 3:00 pm we invite families to show off and share the joy of pets. You are by no means required to bring a pet to school. There's plenty of fun in being free to visit all the pet areas. Dogs go to the paddock, cats go to the science room, other small pets go to the art barn, and photos of pets go to our Virtual Pet Gallery in the foyer of the Lower School (pictures can come to school in the morning).

 

If your family chooses to bring a pet to campus, the pet should arrive at 2:00 and someone must be responsible for the pet at all times.

 

Clean up after your pet. Never bring a pet who has been known to bite. Consider the potential for reactions to being around many other pets. Dogs must be on a leash. Water will be provided in buckets in the paddock. If you have a pet with special needs of any kind please speak to Vicki.