Upper School Biweekly Bulletin December 18th, 2009
DateDecember 18th, 2009
Calendar
(Athletics Schedule Available Here)
December
All School Holiday Assembly
Friday, Dec. 18, 2-3pm
Winter Break
Dec. 19-Jan. 3
Calendar Year Giving Ends
Dec. 31
January
Classes Resume
Monday, Jan. 4
Jean Vollum Distinguished Writer Series Assembly: Gina Ochsner
Thursday, Jan. 14, 11:55am
Classes do not meet:
Martin Luther King Day
Monday, Jan. 18
Report-Writing Days
Tuesday & Wednesday, Jan. 19-20
Winter Play "Noises Off"
Friday & Saturday, Jan. 29-30
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!
What ‘ought’ we to teach? pt. II
Dear Families,
In my last bi-weekly article I raised the question of what Catlin Gabel should be teaching its students based on the demands and expectations of the world today. I also mentioned that we were going to be having conversations this week about this same question.
There are many pieces of scholarship being written today about the curricula for the 21st century. Many of them point to six basic skills and values that will be essential:[1]
1. Character (self-discipline, empathy, integrity, resilience, and courage)
2. Creativity and entrepreneurial spirit
3. Real-world problem-solving (filtering, analysis, and synthesis)
4. Public speaking/communications
5. Teaming
6. Leadership
In our extended C&C conversations this past Monday we asked some questions about these skills. Are these the most important? How does Catlin Gabel prepare students in these ways? And what could we do to better focus on these skills and qualities?
I have heard from several C&C leaders about their dialogue around these six skills. Some students think that there are other qualities that did not make it on the list here that are also very important, like learning how to fail. Others found that we did really well in some areas, like cultivating leadership, and could do a better job in others, like offering more opportunities for real-world problem-solving. I found it encouraging that so many found Character to be the most important item on the list by far.
The list got us thinking about teaching beyond the simple subjects we encounter everyday. It certainly includes the kind of qualities that will inform our vision of the Upper School as we look to create and maintain both an excellent and relevant program.
With kind regards for a peaceful break,
Michael
[1] This list is from Pat Basset, ‘Demonstrations of Learning for 21st-Century Schools.’ In Independent School, Fall 2009, pp.9ff.
A letter from George Thompson
Two weeks ago, as daylight faded into night, a group of Peer Helpers were led blindfolded through the outdoor campus. Braving the dry east wind gusts and paying close attention to their sighted guides, they navigated the terrain for about ten anxious minutes before exchanging their blindfolds for the privilege of becoming sighted guides themselves, an attentive beacon for their partners in the gathering darkness of early December. So ended the fourteenth annual Peer Helpers’ Trust walk, and it was a fitting example of how our students can, and sometimes do, relate to one another in the best of times.
At just about this time of year, the School begins to go through that defining period that gives each year its scope and character, and we find ourselves once again asking,
What is different about the year? Have our kids become more tuned in? More sensitive? The changing season seems to inspire in these young people a greater appreciation of the world, and incidentally, of each other.
It is at this juncture of the year that plans for Winterim, outdoor excursions, field trips for science, mock trial, robotics and music inspire enthusiasm and a sense of adventure. Discussions taking place in our C & C’s about the nature of our curriculum and its future arouse brisk give and take and enliven the spirit of inquiry. The presentations of theatre, instrumental and choir music, and the annual student art show have awakened creativity throughout the School.
Now, for two weeks, we’ll have a respite before the second half of this very promising year begins. Despite our current distractions with the onset of the holidays, we’ll be ready to face it together with a smile when we all get back!
Jean Vollum Distinguished Writers 2009-2010
Parents Invited to Upcoming Assembly Jan. 14
Parents are invited to a Jean Vollum Distinguished Writer assembly featuring Gina Ochsner, short story writer and novelist, on January 14th, 2010, from 11:55am-12:55pm. The back rows of the Cabell center are reserved for parents and visitors to Upper School assembly, and everyone is encouraged to attend this upcoming event.
Gina Ochsner lives in Keizer, Oregon and divides her time between writing and teaching with the Seattle Pacific Low-Residency MFA program and at Corban College. Ochsner has been awarded a John L. Simon Guggenheim grant and a grant from the National Endowment of Arts. Her stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Tin House, Glimmertrain and the Kenyon Review.
She is the author of the short story collection The Necessary Grace to Fall, which received the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction and the story collection People I Wanted to Be. Both books received the Oregon Book Award. A novel entitled The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight is forthcoming from Portobello Press and from Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt in 2009.
About the Jean Vollum Distinguished Writer Seres
The late Jean Vollum believed that exposure to writers with diverse backgrounds, experiences and motivation provides young writers with the knowledge that no matter where they come from, they have something important to say. Authors visiting the school through the Jean Vollum Distinguished Writers Series are arranged by the Upper School English department. The authors work with students in English classes and talk about writing and publishing at assemblies, which are open to the Catlin Gabel community.
Mark your calendars for next Jean Vollum Distinguished Writer assembly: March 4, 2010:
Steve Duin is a graphic novel expert, novelist, and a columnist in The Oregonian's Metro, a post he has held for 15 years. He has twice been named the nation's best local columnist by the Society of Professional Journalists. Steve Duin at the Oregonian.
Information on Unplanned school closures
When school does not open in the morning or opens late due to inclement weather, we notify the media before 6:45 a.m. and the school website is updated.
We do not notify the media when school runs on a normal schedule.
We will post a news item on the Catlin Gabel website alerting families that we are open when conditions are uncertain.
The School avoids mid-day weather closures whenever possible.
Catlin Gabel does not necessarily follow the decisions made by Portland Public or Beaverton schools because our students come from a wide geographic area.
Eric Shawn, plant manager, and Lark Palma make the decision to close school or delay opening based on conditions on campus and throughout the Metro area.
The safety of students is our primary concern. Parents should make personal weather-related safety decisions for their families. If it does not seem safe where you are, keep your children at home. If conditions deteriorate in your neighborhood during the day, you may pick up your children early (making sure to notify the division administrative assistant).
Pueblo a Pueblo 2010 Seeks Humanitarian Donations
Students to deliver aid to those in need
The 2010 Pueblo a Pueblo trip to Cuba is seeking the following humanitarian donations:
Prescription medicines (2010 expiration), Anti-diarrhea medicines (Pepto Bismol, Lomotil), Anti-herpes medications, Antibiotics, Vitamins, Health Supplements (Vitamin C, Omega 3), Analgesics and anti-inflammatory (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Aspirin), Blood pressure medications, Antacids, Baby and children’s medicines and vitamins, Ear, nose, eye drops, Anti-flu, cough, cold medications, First Aid kits, Hotel toiletries, Personal hygiene supplies (toothpaste, soap bars, tooth brushes, floss, and lotions), Sports wear (uniforms and T-shirts) and sports equipment (for children and adults) (baseballs, gloves, basketballs, soccer balls, volley balls – deflated), School supplies (not paper or books), Computer flash drives (1GB, 2GB or higher), Cell phones (must be 900 Megahertz), Calculators, MP3 players
Please contact Roberto Villa if you wish to donate any of these items.
Cuba Trip Seeks January Retreat Home(s)
Still Looking for Additional Location in Arch Cape
This year’s Global Education Program trip to Cuba is seeking to have an overnight retreat in January to prepare for this incredible Spring Break experience. To keep costs down, Roberto Villa, US Spanish Teacher and Trip Leader, hopes to hear from the Catlin Gabel community about home(s) to use any weekend in January for free or reduced cost. The Cuba Trip group is large – 32 students and 4 faculty – but very responsible and eager to prepare themselves well as ambassadors for our school and state.
They have already found one home that can accommodate half the group in Arch Cape and are hoping to find another closeby.
Please contact Roberto Villa if you have information or access to home(s) for this January retreat. Thanks in advance for your interest and support!
Catlin Gabel Ski Bus
Six weeks of Saturday skiing begins February 6!
The snow is flying and it’s not too early to start planning for this season’s Catlin Gabel ski bus program! The ski bus will roll out every Saturday morning for six weeks beginning February 6. If you are looking for a fun holiday gift for your 5th grader, middle or upper schooler, this may be the ticket. Mt. Hood Meadows’ 6 week package options are listed below. Sign ups and payments for these programs will be made online this year, but transportation by Catlin Gabel school bus is paid directly to Catlin Gabel and is an additional $150 for the six weeks. The required forms are available electronically below and in the Middle School and Upper School offices. Financial aid is available.
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5-8th grades
(lessons required for first four weeks)
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9-12th grades
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Lift/Lesson/Rental
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$360
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$405
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Lift/Lesson
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$275
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$315
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Lesson/Rental
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$230
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$210
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Lesson only (4 weeks)
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$90
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$105
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Helmet Rental
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$30
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$30
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Lift only
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n/a
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$228
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Lift/Rental
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n/a
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$335
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