April 16th, 2010

Calendar

(Athletics Schedule Available Here)

April

Upper School Play: The Women
Friday, April 16th & Saturday, April 17th, 7:30 pm, Cabell Center Theater

Bicycle Clinic
Wednesday, April 21st

Diversity Conference
Friday, April 23rd

Laptop Program Showcase & New US Students & Families Evening
Wednesday, April 28th
Laptop (open) program, 5:30 - 6:30 pm; New Student Mixer & Parent Gathering, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

May

Spring Festival
Sunday, May 2nd

Senior Projects Begin
Friday, May 7th

Homework-Free Weekend
Friday, May 7th - Sunday, May 9th
Prom
Saturday, May 8th

 

 And just a reminder for all days of the week ~ please feel free to leave messages, day or night, about your child's attendance.  Contact Molly Grove, Upper School Administrative Assistant, 503-297-1894, ext. 315.  Thanks 

This past week we had a great Campus Day both here and out in the wider community. C&C groups helped out with a project in the Beehive, beautified the campus in general, and took care of some of the goat enclosures. Some were also able to lend a hand in the Cabell Center with our production of The Women, which opens tonight at 7.30. Other groups went off-campus to organizations with whom we have cultivated relationships, to help with clean up efforts, work with children, even break down recycled computers. A huge debt of thanks goes to Mark Lawton and Mike Wilson for their coordination and also especially to Patty Barker for her logistic mastery, creativity, and positive spirit helping out with this Herculean effort.

 

Another highlight of the week for me and for many parents was the annual PFA meeting which invites a panel of seniors to talk about their experiences at Catlin. They always have great insights to share with us and we are so proud of them. Parents related to me how much they appreciated hearing the students offer candid, thoughtful responses to questions. They also found the way these seniors were able to express their passions and future aspirations very impressive.

 

The most moving aspect of the PFA meeting for me was looking at each of these seniors and remembering them as sophomores. It is remarkable how far they have come in just these three years. It gives me mixed feelings about graduation. I am looking forward to celebrating these 71 seniors because they are remarkable people that we have gotten to know well and love. Yet we will be sad to see them go.

 

In the meantime, they are finishing up their academic work and as we move into May, their Senior Projects are just a few weeks away. We still have a few months to enjoy this class and all the other students in the Upper School.

 

With kind regards,

 

 

Michael

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come to the Middle School Commons on Wednesday, April 21, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., 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

The Elana Gold Project was established in 1991 to carry out land restoration projects on Mt. Hood National Forest. Over the years students from Catlin Gabel and other area high schools have contributed over 15,000 hours of labor in areas that were severely degraded by a century of cattle overgrazing, wildfire, and intensive logging. The goal is to increase habitat for fish and other wildlife, decrease erosion, improve stream water-quality, and thin timber to reduce the risk of fire. Participants build fences to exclude cattle and vehicles from sensitive wetland areas, install native plants along stream banks to shade and cool streams, and add woody debris to streams for fish and other wildlife habitat. This work provides opportunities for education about ecosystems and the need for environmental restoration. These lessons are imparted through direct, hands-on experience. The camaraderie and fellowship of overcoming physical challenges through teamwork and living “in the rough” together provide many opportunities for growth seldom found inside a classroom. During the week of the project the participants live communally with the enthusiastic and dedicated adult leaders, participating in food preparation, clean up, entertainment, and outdoor recreation activities along with the environmental work. Participants earn 20 hours of community service for their participation in the project.

 

This year’s project runs June 17-23, and is open to all students (from Catlin and beyond) completing 9^th through 12^th grade this spring. Applications are available now, and are due by April 23. The application can be downloaded from the Elana Gold Project page on the Catlin US webpage, http://www.catlin.edu/page/987 , or a paper copy can be obtained in the US office or from Bob Sauer in the US Science Building. If you need more information, please contact Bob at sauerb@catlin.edu.

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 26th. Labels please, and no invasives. Many thanks! Questions?  Please contact Marjorie Dial.

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!

This year we are in for a treat!  You won’t want to miss this exciting carnival that honors Catlin Gabel’s emphasis on sustainability. The Beehive parade kicks off the event, followed by the traditional first grade maypole dance, and Lower School musical performances in the Barn.

•Dunk tank • inflatable slide and bounce house •obstacle course • Upper School Jazz Band • new carnival games • Honey Hollow plant exchange and seed-planting garden • arts and crafts • Balloonist • Farmer’s Market (new this year) • Cooking demos.

 

Food selections and Upper School fundraisers include a fantastic barbecue hosted by Catlin’s Barbeque Society, Pizza Schmizza pizza, Pepino’s burritos, cotton candy, Hawaiian shaved ice, Italian sodas,  coffee, bottled drinks and other treats. Vegetarian options will be available.

 

Are you digging and dividing? Bring your extra plants in pots or containers to school the week before Spring Festival for exchange at the Honey Hollow plant tent at the event. Drop off your contributions in front of the Cabell Center Theater.  Please label all plants.

 

Come and pick up some yummy produce to take home with you. Meet some of the farmers that supply Catlin with healthy veggies. Cooking demos and samples will be offered.

The Lower School is seeking volunteers to help at the Spring Festival. Students can receive up to three hours of on-campus community service by volunteering to help set up, clean up, and sell food. They especially need people with food handler's licenses! If you can help, please email Lower School parent Tina Koehler by April 28th. Thank you and see you on the 2nd!  We’ve ordered sunshine!

Children of Jerusalem  (young audience)
This collection of films profiles the daily lives of five children living in Jerusalem.

 

 

 

The Catlin Gabel School community garden behind the Middle School is expanding by eleven more raised beds this spring and summer. This will bring our total up to seventeen beds. In preparation for this expansion, the Garden Club is earnestly seeking volunteers to help them for an hour with the following tasks: stripping sod, digging in drainage and irrigation, and laying drain rock, cloth barrier, and cedar chips. Let’s channel some of that Rummage Volunteer spirit! Together we can do this. The finished product will be a beautiful educational, community space. Students, teachers, staff, and Catlin Gabel community members will visit the garden to raise food for the Barn, to learn art and science, and to enjoy a place of peace and relaxation. Please volunteer an hour of your time to help make our dream a reality. We need your help between May 6 – May 15. Sign up for volunteer shifts here. You will find hour-long volunteer shifts on different days. Thank you very much!

Thursday, May 6, 3:00 – 7:00 PM     Cut & Stack Sod
Monday, May 10, 3:00 – 7:00 PM     Drainage & Irrigation
Tuesday, May 11, 3:00 – 7:00 PM     Drainage & Irrigation
Thursday, May 13, 3:00 – 7:00 PM    Spreading Drain Rock
Friday, May 14, 3:00 – 7:00 PM      Spreading Drain Rock
Saturday, May 15, 9:00 - Noon       Cloth Barrier & Cedar Chips

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Reminder: Required Form for Rising Freshmen and Juniors

Sports Pre-Participation Physical emailed last week

Students in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades are required by the state to have an up-to-date physical on file with the school before participating in any school activities. As a result of feedback received this year about the difficulty of scheduling doctor's appointments near the start of the school year, we are getting a jump start on publicizing and accepting this paperwork. This past Thursday, Middle School Administrative Assistant Chris Bell sent a letter to families of current 6th, 8th, and 10th graders on behalf of Lark Palma explaining the requirement and attached copies of the required form.

We strongly recommend making medical appointments as soon as possible because doctors’ schedules become very full during the summer. 

Return the paperwork to the appropriate office, either Middle or Upper School, no later than Friday, August 13, 2010.

We are confident that requiring physical exams improves our programs and protects our children. If you have questions or need any help, please don’t hesitate to contact Chris Bell, or Mike Davis, athletic director.

The form is available for download here: http://www.catlin.edu/athletics