Basic OESian*
OES Acronyms and Other Important Vocabulary
Aardvark – Official OES mascot. Many years ago, when the falcon mascot seemed a bit too hard-driving, a student reached for the dictionary and didn’t have to look too far to find an alternative.
Aardvark Fun Park – Our beautiful Lower School playground, designed and built by the OES community.
AASK (Aardvarks Advocate Skills and Knowledge) – Our neighborhood partnership program with Beaverton School District students.
After School Program -- The optional after school program for 5th through 8th graders that is held in the Middle School. Students in Pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade may attend Extended Care (EC).
Auction – An all-school, theme-based spring event to raise money for faculty enrichment programs, all-school special projects, and the AASK program.
Back-to-School Night – LS, MS and US each host an evening in early fall for parents to meet their child’s teachers and learn about the year’s curriculum.
Back-to-School Picnic – LS hosts an evening picnic in the fall for parents, students, and teachers to meet each other on an informal basis.
Belltower – The tower in the center of the campus houses a bell sent in 1869 in honor of the school’s founding. The tower was designed by an OES graduate.
BDH (Bishop Dagwell Hall) – The all-school fine arts building.
BS (Beginning School) – The wing of the Lower School that consists of Pre-K, Kindergarten and Primary.
Buddy Families – OES families who serve as hosts for families new to the OES community.
CDL (Community Diversity Link) – Parents from all three divisions welcome new families, raise diversity awareness, and act as a listening body regarding diversity issues.
Chapel – Regularly scheduled ecumenical services for students held by school chaplains in the OES Chapel, which is shared with an Episcopal parish (See St. John’s).
Church Library – Meeting room in the basement of the church.
Dining Hall – Full-service cafeteria located in Upper School building serving lunch to Grades 1–12 as well as breakfast and dinner to boarding students and resident faculty. Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Primary students have lunch in the LS Common Hall. Parents may join their students for lunch for a small fee.
Dormies – Upper School students who live in the OES dormitories. Dormies come from several states and many other countries.
Drinkward Center for Math, Science and Technology -- Building of the Upper School, dedicated September 2003, with state-of-the-art facilities for math, science, engineering, and computer technology.
EC (Extended Care) –The optional after school program for Pre-K through 4th grade. 5th through 8th graders can attend the After School Program (see above).
Endeavour Commons – See Middle School Commons.
FOESL (Friends of the OES Libraries) – Parent organization that runs book fairs to support the OES libraries and brings visiting authors and illustrators to campus.
Gallery Store – The OES school store where one can purchase school logo items and supplies. Formerly located off the main entry lobby..
Great Hall – The gathering place for the Upper School.
Guild Room – Meeting room in the basement of the church.
HAC (Head’s Advisory Council) – An elected representative group of faculty and staff who act as advisors to the Head of School.
Homecoming – An annual all-school fall celebration including soccer games, food and fun for all.
LS – Lower School (Grades 1–5) or can also include Beginning School, encompassing grades Pre-K to 5th.
Lower School Common Hall – Common meeting area in the Lower School and location for LS PAL meetings, Pre-K to Primary lunch, Lower School EC, and many LS performances.
Messenger – Weekly Middle School newsletter.
Middle School Commons – Common meeting area in the Middle School and location for MS morning Gathering, After School Program, and MS PAL meetings; also known as Endeavour Commons.
Midwinter Madness – An annual cluster of fun, student-planned and student-run events to raise money for a charity and to raise spirits in the Upper School at the end of the first semester.
MS – Middle School (Grades 6–8).
OES Fund – Annual fund drive that kicks off in October. Parents, faculty, staff, alumni and other friends of the school are asked to contribute to this fund that supports the ongoing operation of the school. A strong participation percentage helps the school get larger grants from foundations and other major contributors.
*OESian – (o-E-zhun, rhymes with Parisian) adjective or noun referring to anything or anyone connected to OES.
Open Houses – Upper School holds an Open House in the fall for current OES 8th grade families and prospective US students; Lower School holds an Open House for current families in the spring to highlight the year’s work and look ahead to the next school year.
PAL (Parent Association Link) – The volunteer parent association for each division of the school.
Parent Community Link (PCL) – The OES parent community coordinating committee whose purpose is to help build community for families, oversee the volunteer program at OES, and act as a communication link for community-wide interests and activities in cooperation with the divisional Parent Association Links (PALs), school administration, and OES Board of Trustees.
Parent Portal -- Log in to access this secure area of the OES website for information about children’s classes, to change contact and other important information for the family, and to access the online parent/student directory.
The Pit – Amphitheater-style classroom on the ground floor of the Upper School building.
Rainbow Room – Small carpeted room in the gymnasium where Beginning School movement classes meet.
Room 10 – LS storage area of used uniforms for sale to families and school supplies for PAL.
Ropes Course – Outward Bound-style ropes course located in the woods behind the Upper School.
Service Learning – The schoolwide community service program that incorporates developmentally appropriate activities for all students to contribute to the local and world communities.
SPARC (Sports and Recreation Center) – An OES athletic facility located on property adjoining the school. There is pedestrian access through campus, but cars must enter from Oleson Road.
Spooktacular – Lower School Halloween celebration held in the gym on an evening prior to Halloween.
Sports Award Banquet – Families of US students participating in sports bring food for a potluck dinner that is held three times each year (Fall, Winter, and Spring). Following season recaps by coaches from each of the teams, families divide into smaller groups (by sport) for awarding of certificates and letters.
St. Helen’s Hall – OES was founded as St. Helen’s Hall in 1869. The school officially changed its name to Oregon Episcopal School in 1974.
St. John’s (Episcopal Parish of St. John the Baptist) – The Episcopal church located on campus and used by the school for chapel services and classroom space.
Switchboard – The main reception area for the school is located in main lobby of the Upper School building.
US – Upper School (Grades 9–12).
Voice – Upper School newsletter.
VolunteerSpot – The online resource for all volunteer activities at OES. Use VolunteerSpot to find out about ways to get involved in the OES community, to sign-up to volunteer, and to log your volunteer hours.
Wednesday envelope – Lower School envelope containing recent work, and classroom news that goes home weekly to each family.
Wednesday Express – Weekly Lower School online newsletter.
Winterim – Six-day period prior to Spring Break during which Upper School students and faculty explore enrichment classes in nontraditional settings.
X Period – Assembly period in the Upper School.
