LS Weekly Memo
Week 27: February 17-21
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We hope that you all found some rest and renewal this long weekend. It has been a long Winter marathon from January to now with progress reports, conferences, admissions visitors and days. We appreciate your hard work and dedication.
COMMUNITY
Admissions Days
Our thanks to all of you who helped out Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. What a fine group of candidates! Our thanks to Sarah and her admissions team for pulling it all together. Amazingly, we only have 7 candidates who could not attend our make-up sessions. We will invite these candidates for a visit next week. Thanks to Alysa and Janet for putting in time this weekend and next week to read Primary through Fifth Grade applicant’s files.
Incident Reports - keep them coming.
4 Students in Need of Support
- Gabriel Hayden - increased difficulty managing impulsive physical behavior. See plan details from Tonya and Patti.
- Jasier Ramsey - increased difficulty with competitive games-- no competitive games from Tuesday, February 18th through Monday, February 24th, to include Tetherball, Four Square, Soccer, Football and Basketball. See Jackie and Chris fro plan details.
- Payton Bogatin - some physical incidents with peers. See Jenny and Chris for details.
- Brielle Korros - very sensitive to treatment by others, particularly by Sylvia Purvis. See Doug and Patti for plan details.
Akehurst’s Play Premieres Next Week
Tina and her students open next week with Wednesday through Friday ‘s performances. The performances take place early afternoon. Beginning School Friends, if you would please try to be on time, or even a bit early. Let your students and parent helpers there can’t be lingering lunches those afternoons. Shirley and Carmen will have a short turn around time to serve and clean up before play setup and performance.
PROGRAM
LS Faculty Meeting Tuesday, February 18th, 3:20-4:20, DVR
We will meet with Louise Cadwell to discuss our inquiry based practices. This will serve as our introduction to her and will help her get a sense of where we are in our evolution of inquiry based learning. She has sent along two prompts for us to discuss at the faculty meeting.
From Louise:
Please reflect on these prompts and come to our meeting prepared to share with your colleagues.
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 woul dlike to have as may faculty as possible attend. Let us know if you plan to attend or unable to attend because you already have plans. Please sign up using the Google doc. link below.
Connect: Winged Wonders Special Assemblies, Friday, February 21st
Kristen, Tracy and the First Grade Team put together a unique set of offerings around the themes of “Winged Wonders.” The intent is to look at how we connect with our natural surrounding here on campus using the Essential Competencies lens of “I connect”. Take a look at the Google sign up doc and sign up for one of the explorations.
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
HELP! 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.
US Students to Help - February 21
See email from Kara Tambellini.
Teacher Visits from Cascade Academy, Friday, 2/21/14
Four teachers, Kindergarten and 3rd - 5th grade teachers, will be visiting from the school in Bend, observing classes and eager for conversations about teaching and curriculum.
Tour with Chris 8:30
Observe in Classrooms - 9:00 - 10:50
Lunch with teachers in the Art Room, 10:50-11:50
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 Ari if you need additional strategies.
OPERATIONS
Benefits Survey Extended
New closing date - 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 really matters.
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.
