LS Weekly Memo LS Weekly Memo Week 29, 14 - 18, 2016

Thanks to all of you who generously gave your time on Saturday to volunteer at the auction.  The class projects, always a big hit, were truly amazing.  We are blessed to be a part of such a generous community that supports our school and its programs.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

• We will offer one final tour before Spring Break on Tuesday from 3:30 - 4:30. Sign Up Below.  
• Part of the point of the tours will be to get our heads around furniture.  We will need to come up with a prioritized furniture list - need, wish, dream.  Jon has an inventory of current furniture, both in use and in storage.
• Stop by if you want to look at the plans: floor plan, verticals, utilities.
• The building continues to be on budget with an end of July projected completion date.  Everyone will need to plan on having their rooms packed up before they leave for the summer.  We are planning on making the week of August 22nd the official move in week with the LS Cafe open each morning. We will let you know as soon as moving in is a possibility.

COMMUNITY

Tour of the New Lower School Building, Tuesday, March 15th 3:30-4:30

Tours of the New Lower School Building

Click on the link to sign up or check to see that you are already signed up with a floor group.  Groups will need to be small. If you don’t see your name,  find a place that works for you.  

Child Inspired Natural Playgrounds, March 21, 2016 from 3 to 5 p.m.

On Play: https://oregonplay.wordpress.com/

Interested in attending a workshop on inclusive play and involving children in a design process? Let Chris know.  We will attend the workshop then gather to brainstorm ways we could implement our our natural space design process with our students.  

Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave.; Room C, 2nd Floor

Friendly Reminder: Our Bon Appetit  Friends Need Our Support

Any effort that OES employees can provide in the Dining Room toward a thoughtful presence with our student community is greatly appreciated.  Specifically, please encourage calm behavior, and remind everyone to clean up after themselves.  While those endeavors are regularly important, they matter all the more these days."

Jennie Kiffmeyer would be happy to coordinate and oversee cards by our children for Suzy and Sergio. Please get in touch with Jennie for details on how we can work together.

Assistant Head Search Process

Thank you finalists, for your thoughtful responses to a myriad of questions and your sharing of ideas about how to support the ongoing evolution of Lower School. I hope to make an announcement before the week is done.

David Out of Office and Off the Grid, 3/21-3/24

Chris will be in charge.

Melanie and Ari will assist.

Rosetta Lee - Inclusivity in the Younger Years

Here are the links to her presentations:

Faculty Session

https://sites.google.com/a/sgs-wa.org/sgsprofessionaloutreach/oes-inclusion-in-the-early-years-faculty

Parent and Guardian Session

https://sites.google.com/a/sgs-wa.org/sgsprofessionaloutreach/oes-inclusion-in-the-early-years-parents-1

TedX PDX

One aspect of intercultural competence is seeking experiences that expose you to cultures that are not your own.  This year's TEDxPortland offers a few explorations:

• poverty's impact on women (Nadya from Catlin will talk about the Organization Camions of Care)
• Intisar Abioto will probably talk about her blog about African-Americans in Portland

How to Raise an Adult - Author Julie Lythcott-Haims Speaks on Campus

Monday, April 18th at 7:00 pm in the Chapel

PCL is bringing author to campus.

NYT Article - Reviewing How to Raise and Adult

This was in the New York Times this past week...another point of view!

How to Raise a Creative Child. Step One: Back Off

Admissions

Tuesday we will be welcoming the parents of all the LS students recently admitted to OES.  Thank you to those who accepted Sarah’s invitation to attend.

4th and 5th grade Students

7:49 am – the place for the students  to wait is on the covered walkway.

Before 7:49 am – everyone must go to ACP or the library and join their peers

Students of Concern

• HB - K- CB
• Has difficulty keeping up with the flow of things, can be disruptive.  Let Carole and Chris know if he is having difficulties. We want to be consistent in our support.
• OB-K-CB
• Mourning the loss of her father, hasn’t wanted to be at school, has strayed away from the class, needs to be shadowed
• Giving her lots of love and support
• She is doing much better. Had a shortened day, but is now trying two full days, Tuesday and Thursday. We are exploring the possibility of adding a third full day.
• Please keep Carole and Chris in the loop if challenging behavior arises again

• NEW! First Grade Boys Sports- Read if you supervise the field at lunch recess for 1st and 2nd Grade

• First Grade boys are having heated arguments about soccer and football. One person on the field at lunch recess should oversee their games
• Try to be alert, and help problem solve before things escalate

New addition, please be sure to read if you teach or supervise Second Grade- Photos of these children to come out in an email on Monday

• JB and JP- 2G
• JB has been physically aggressive (kick, hit) with JP, threats of retaliation are a concern
• JP usually plays on ACP, JB usually plays on the field. Would one person be a designated shadow to keep an eye on each  boy? We want to give them lots of support and be proactive whenever possible.
• The boys can now play together if they want to join the same game
• Please let Tonya or Chris know immediately  if there are any issues reported to you
• For the foreseeable future these two are to give each other space throughout the school day, with the exception of class time, where Tonya will monitor the behavior closely

• SG - 2 JB
• Let Jackie or Chris know if he is having difficulty in your class

• If he gets stuck and disrupts the class, let Chris know- call the office
• Specialists, we value your input and appreciate your feedback.  Please input any rating and observations at the end of each day into the weekly googledoc. In addition to the daily communication with his family this document is also sent daily to Sam's outside support team.  They appreciate the specific examples we provide and work through them with him (accomplishments and challenges).  Thank you.

• Fourth Grade World Cup Soccer Games
• Track and Field Duty People, please continue to keep a close eye on these games. They made a plan:
• Gather at the beginning to organize teams.  They will divide into two mixed ability groups with one soccer goal OR play one large game of soccer using two goals
• Teachers out on the field, please continue to monitor this situation. Last week I had to remind them of their agreements.
• SS and LB- 5 TA
• L and S have had challenges of late. Please keep an eye on them and let Tina know if you experience L saying or doing any unkind things- as well, if S is doing anything to annoy L.

Major Rules - If a student violates a major rule, Chris and David need to know and need to be part of the determination of consequences and reparations.

• Verbal abuse, physical abuse, bullying, or inappropriate physical touch.
• Lying, deceit, or other dishonest conduct
• Destruction of property belonging to the School, its personnel or another student
• Stealing
• Inappropriate language
• Possession or use of weapons or any object that is used in a threatening manner

PROGRAM

Faculty Meetings

Monday, 3/14

ICC Facilitators

Inquiry Design Team @ 3:15 in Janet’s Room

Or Complete Scope and Sequence Work

Friendly Reminder:  Scope and Sequence Work

We had hoped that the pertinent information from your three  UbDs would be transferred to the scope and sequence document by the end of February.  Please be sure to get this task done in the coming week.  Department Chairs will meet soon to look at these Pre-K-12 scope and sequence docs.

Thursday, 3/17

Divisional Meeting @ 7:35 in the Art Room

Scheduling Task Force @ 3:15 in Tonya’s Room

Make Learning Visible: Inquiry and the OES Essential Competencies

Our Sense of Place Matters  Check it out. I had fun writing this one!

Moving Into Spring Coffees

Yes, it is that time again.  We’ve had to make some changes due to overnight trips.  Plan on MIC planning sessions when we return in April. Please sign up on this Google doc  Moving Into Spring Coffees 2016

Send DRA AND Fountas Pinnell Reading Assessment Data to Lyn

If you haven’t done so, please take a few minutes on Monday (goal was to have them in by Friday)  to gather and send your mid-year reading assessments to Lyn.  We’d like to review the data  and make plans to support students before spring break.

Lunch and Learn 3/17 - 11:00 - 11:45

We will be offering a chance to learn about Webpath Express, easily creating citation lists and how our Destiny Library System can help in your work with student research on Monday, March 14th during Lunch (11:00 until 11:45) in the Lower School Library.

Your Recyclables (i.e. Instrument Parts) Needed!

Kristen is starting a few instrument-building projects in Kindergarten music next week, and she needs your help. Below is a list of items the Kindergarten classes think they will need. If you have any of these items around your house, please bring them in next week. Monday (Feb. 29) is preferred, since project planning and drafting begins on Monday, but we will accept items all week. You can leave items in the bin marked "Instrument Parts" in the Beginning School hallway, stash it in the Music Room (Scott House Room 22), or let me know and I will come by to pick them up from your classroom. Thank you for your help! Kristen and the Kindergarten students

Needed: Tin cans, Plastic lids, Small beads, Small wood rounds, Dowels, Small boxes (like jewelry boxes), Medium boxes (about the size of a small shoe box), Toilet paper tubes, Paper towel tubes, Plastic bottles with lids, Small containers (like yogurt containers) with lids, Milk jugs, Small metal objects—bottle caps, etc., Styrofoam, Plastic tubes, Or send anything else you think might make a cool sound component!

Chaperones

We have a chaperone plan.  Trip leaders will be reaching out to you to confirm availability. We are going to need more help than usual as we have some overlapping trips.

OPERATIONS

2016-17 Calendar Summit, March 16

We will draft the AS calendar and hope to have it updated when you return from Spring Break.  

Ants!

Several classrooms are experiencing ant invasions. What you can do:

• Complete a maintenance request and/or contact Rod about your concern.  He is on the case in Tonya’s and Erin’s rooms.
• Be sure to eliminate food sources - raisins and crackers crumbs seem to be favorites.
• Track the ant line down and see if you can determine where they are entering the building

Important Safety Issue: Visitors Must Have Visitor Badges or Stickers to Enter the Building

All visitors must sign in and get a visitor badge or sticker (we use them when we run out of key cards).

If you see someone at the door wearing a visitor badge you may let them in. Otherwise, politely say “I’m sorry. You need a visitor’s  badge or sticker to enter the building.” David plans to put a friendly reminder in the Wednesday Express.

Recess Equipment Bags Left Out at the Bottom of the Hill

Please be sure to have students or a teacher return the bags to the shed. If you are short on time, leave the bags by the shed door, and a kind soul can get them into the shed.

Assistant Teacher Substitutes

I have several new subs in the process of doing their background checks. Please know that we are in a pinch, and we will need everyone to be flexible.

Duty Changes Coming

I am in the process of revising the duty schedules.  Look for new schedules early next week.

Pre-K Lunch Duty Help on Wednesday and Friday

Now that Meredith is Team Teaching with Sharon, our new long-term substitute, they will both need to have two lunch-free duties (Wednesday,  BS Team Meeting  and Friday, Common Planning Time)  for the remainder of the year.

As I mentioned in an earlier email, Colesie and Meredith’s parent lunch helpers are in short supply and will need to rely on the generosity of you all to cover their duties.  Please take a look at your calendars and see if there are times when you could take a duty or two.  Sign up on this Google doc Pre-K Lunch Duty Help Spring 2016

Sharon will be here next week shadowing Colesie and Meredith and start full-time after we return from Spring Break. You will get a chance to meet Sharon on Thursday at our faculty meeting, if you haven’t already done so.

Emergency Drill Substitutes

In the future these people will be the designated helpers if David and Chris are unavailable.

·         Scott Corris – in charge of public announcements and dismissal

·         Class attendance – Lyn and Tracy

·         Faculty & Staff attendance  – Ari and Miriam

·         Debra Thomas stays with Donna (Schilling’s class)

Friendly Reminder About Calendar Updates

Please remember to get your important dates on the Faculty Google Calendar, and where appropriate, Anne’s All School Calendar when parents need to be notified.  

Believe it or not, while there are more than 3.5 months left in the school year, the calendar is filling up quickly with special events.

Before you go on Spring Break, be sure to get your culminating events on the calendar(s). I will create a Google doc that lists all of these important end-of-the-year events.

We hope this type of calendar will help us all make good choices as to when we want to host a culminating event (for families, buddies and other classes), and help plan which culminating events you hope to attend with your classes.

Calendar Updates and Conflicts

Lyn and I reviewed the calendar on Friday and we found a number of issues.

•Learning Celebrations- Please do not schedule when there is a parent meeting (Wednesday and Friday mornings)

•List all events and field trips (with destination and times on the faculty calendar, no destination on Anne’s All School public calendar)  on the Google Faculty Event Calendar AND Anne’s All School Calendar.

•If you change the date of an event, be sure to remove the old date from the calendar(s)

Change in Lunch Routine

Kelly needs at least 72 hours notice if you need to change lunch plans (not eat in the dining hall, need sack lunches, etc)

Take Care of Your Cheese

Rainy Mud Season at Aardvark Community Park- A few things to keep in mind

• Designated Excavation Area
• Children Must Have Some Type of Footwear on At All Times
• Excavation Tools Cleaned Up at the End of Recess

Emergency Closure Communication

Phone tree -  we are no longer using the phone tree.  We are relying on Instant Alert.

If you encountered any issues with your Instant Alert notifications, contact Rebecca Williams.

Enrollment Instructions

Instant Alert Sign-in Page

Students on Covered Walkway and Loop Road Pick Up by  2:55

Thanks for the extra effort. It makes a difference.

Friendly Reminder About Sub Requests

Miriam continues to get requests late at night. Please do not text Miriam after 7pm. Contact her:

Evening: Sunday through Thursday 5:00-7:00pm

Morning: Monday through Friday 6-6:15am

Parent Volunteers Must Sign In at the LS Office When They Volunteer

Please remind parents in your next communication about the importance of signing in at the office. This is critical for two reasons:

•For security, our community expects visitors to wear visitor badges (BS lunch helpers will wear an OES sticker)

•In the event of an emergency- fire, earthquake, lockdown, we need to know who was in the building.

Please don’t let parents in the building without a pass. Remind them politely that they need to check in at the office.

Your Announcements

Send any announcements you have for faculty to Chris or me by Thursday each week and we will include them in the Weekly Memo.  This should help reduce the number of emails we are receiving, and to maximize our time to collaborate during meetings.