LS Weekly Memo
Week 28: February 24-28
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What a great way to end the week with Tina’s outstanding premier of Ima’s Twisted Tales to the interactive Connect with Nature Assembly. The offerings throughout the day really allowed great opportunities to connect around shared affinities. Bravo, Marty, Doug, Claire, Scott, Tracy and Kristen.
COMMUNITY
OBOB - The offer from Chris Myers
If so, consider volunteering at the Oregon Battle of the Books Region 1 Competition, Saturday, March 15, at Westview High School. The competition features over 70 teams from 55 different schools in Washington County and the northwest corner of Oregon, including three teams from OES—Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School!
Lots of different kinds of jobs available—moderating battles, scorekeeping, timekeeping, running scores, helping with registration and check-in. The competition runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m., with a short training beforehand, but shorter shifts are available.
Second Grade Boys
So Friday, for the first time, JR played competitive sports at lunch recess ONLY. Scott and Lauren, who are out at 1-3rd recess will "shadow" J and his competitive 2nd Grade classmates, until further notice. Before school recess (he's there sometimes), morning and afternoon recess he may shoot hoops, kick the soccer ball against the wall, climb on climbers, play imaginative games, etc.
These children are into basketball at the moment, so that means someone else other than Scott or Lauren needs to cover the field. We will need everyone on First through Third Grade lunch recess to be flexible, depending upon whether PE teachers are on the field or by the basketball court.
Families Not Returning
Please let David or Chris know if a family revealed at conferences that they are not planning on returning next year. This helps us forecast the number of new families to accept.
Deborah’s Sabbatical Substitute
We are working our way toward a final decision. Two outside candidates visit this week.
PROGRAM
Admissions - Specialists - last call for your feedback about visiting candidates. Admissions decisions will be made this week.
LSCTF - 3:15 - 4:30, Monday 2-24-14, Claire Kucera’s classroom
1. Inquiry based learning with Cadwell
2. ERB Reflection
3. Curriculum Design check-in
Louise Cadwell Follow-Up
Thanks to all who shared their break-throughs and challenges at last week’s meeting. Chris captured your thoughts in her documentation. Louise would like to hear from all of you. Please take a minute to respond to Louise’s prompts (see questions below) on the following shared document - Louise Cadwell's Feedback- Break-Throughs and Challenges. No need for names, only if you want to identify yourself.
1. In your practice of Inquiry Based teaching and learning, choose one example of a breakthrough in learning for yourself and your students that you are excited about.
2. In your study and practice of Inquiry Based teaching and learning, choose one aspect of this approach that is challenging for you and that you would like to focus on for future growth.
Sign Up for Professional Growth and Development with Louise Cadwell, Wednesday, June 18th
We’d like to get a sense of who is available to attend our Professional Growth day with Louise in June. I would like to have as many faculty as possible attend. Let us know if you plan to attend or unable to attend because you already have plans. If you haven’t done so, please sign up using the Google doc. link below.
Intercultural Competency Training
During our school-wide professional development day on March 31, 2014 the cohort of intercultural competence facilitators will be offering the Day 2 training. Building intercultural competence to better support all of our students and enhance our work together is an important strategic initiative for the school.
This training is the priority for PGD on 3/31 for faculty and staff in all three divisions.
Reading Endorsement
Laura Morton, volunteer in Janet’s classroom and M Ed student at PSU, needs to do a Reading Endorsement practicum. Let me know if you have your reading endorsement and if you would be interested in working with Laura on this requirement. She needs to work with a faculty member who works with students in grades 1st - 3rd.
SST and Conferences
Let any SST member know if you want support after your recent conferences. It is a good time to strategize how to support students and set goals for the second half of the school
Maria McIver’s Needs Your Scholastic Points to Buy Books for Her Winterim Trip to Costa Rica
Maris is once again leading a Winterim service trip to a school in Costa Rica. She would like to bring new children’s books written in Spanish to the school in March. She is hoping that you will use some of your Scholastic points to purchase books for the school in Costa Rica.
If you would like to do so, and wonder what to buy, check out Lisset’s wonderful library collection in her Galleria. Time is short. Let me know if you would like to help out. More details to follow.
Service Learning Affinity Coffee, Rescheduled for Tuesday, February 25th
Many thanks to Jenny Cleveland and Laurie Price for their work preparing for the coffee.
Teacher Visits from Cascade Academy Friday
Thanks to all who took time to chat with our guests in your classrooms and in the art room over lunch. They were thoroughly inspired by their visit!
US Students Available to Help during Winterim - March 17 -20
See email from Robin Weitzer
DRA Entries and Updates
Please be sure to send Lyn your new or updated DRA scores so she can enter them into our spreadsheet. If you have students who are not meeting benchmarks, contact Art to schedule a
OPERATIONS
Calendar Up-Keep
We are coming up to Spring Break and then the post-Spring Break dash to the finish.
•Please keep your Grade Level events up to date in the Google faculty calendar.
•Make sure Anne’s Final Site calendar is up to date with postings that are relevant to parents
•Consult both calendars when posting a new date, bear in mind that most parent meetings happen on Wednesdays
•Culminating Events- Try not to book a culminating event when another grade has already posted a culminating event on a given day or if parents have a school function at the same time. We would like to avoid possible conflicts for parents with multiple children, and prevent double-booking problem for David and Chris. We like to attend as many culminating events as possible!
Benefits Survey Extended - CLOSES MONDAY, 2/24
Thus far Lower School has a very low completion rate. We will be using this information to help determine the benefit mix for the coming year. Your input matters.
Feeding your Pets
Students are coming in and making salads off the dining room salad bar and taking it back to their classrooms for classroom pets. Please do not do this.
Kelly is willing to work with teachers and their students to find a pre-arranged time for them to pick up pre-consumer veggie scraps from the kitchen for their pets - a more sustainable approach.
Early School Closure
We met Thursday to clarify future early closure procedures. Please read and familiarize yourself with our plan. Lyn will save this in our important docs folder.
Class Not Eating Lunch?
If your class or grade is not eating in the cafeteria for a special occasion be sure to notify the kitchen at least 72 hours in advance. We are reimbursed for the food cost @ about $40/class.
Custodial Notebook
See Lyn’s email for location of the log in each wing. Record current needs and any future needs that custodians should be aware of.
