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Belltower
6300 SW Nicol Road
Portland, OR 97223
(503) 246-7771



© 2007 OES
 
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Middle School Home
& Messenger Newsletter for May 7th, 2008
 
 

From Charyl Cathey, Head of Middle School


As we begin the last month of school, the Messenger takes on even more importance as a communication tool for the many dates and times.  Please note the details of the last two days of school below.  

Our traveling ambassadors are safely back at school after wonderful adventures to Japan, Costa Rica, Quebec and global sites within our own Portland area.  Our new digital display in the new wing will soon have documentation of their adventures running - stop by and take a look!  We welcome our visitors from Quebec today - thank you to the families who are hosting these students: Bharadwaj,Gupta, Perry-Freer, Wright, ,Stromme, Garrett, Stack, Moore, Lund, Furnary, Hanson, Malloch, Leybold, Noto and Romine-Black.

If you have a few minutes today, take a walk through our woods and see the "gnome homes" created by the 6th graders yesterday during their Earth Day celebration!  

We are nearly fully staffed for the 08/09 school year!  We have hired two new teachers to join us for next year - Ryan Holland, will be teaching the 8th grade Science and Missy Smith will be teaching most of the 7th grade PE. Ryan taught for several years at Menlo Park in California before coming to Portland to attend OHSU where he will complete a masters' program this spring.  Missy comes to us after many years of coaching and running basketball camps for all ages.  We welcome both of these wonderful professionals to our stellar Middle School faculty.  

The other changes for next year include:   

            

Ann Sulzer will become the 8th grade Team Leader               

Laura Strudwick will teach one section of Humanities 8 and begin her doctoral program                 

We will have two teachers from the Nanjing International Foreign Language School ( our partner school with whom we did our exchange this year) joining us - one each semester.  They will teach Mandarin 7 and one section of Mandarin 8 (Yes, we will be able to divide that large class!)              

Chris Mader will be the PK-12 Interim Science Chair and teach two sections of 6th grade Science               

Benno Lyon will be teaching two sections of Science 6                 

Toni Holmberg will be teaching two sections of Humanities 6               

Charley Adams will be teaching one section of Humanities 6, Spanish 6 and Language Skills 6  

And, of course, the entire Middle School will be in the very capable hands of Scott Hardister! It looks to be a great year!  

Once again as the weather gets warmer, we will be monitoring the dress code..............Thanks for your help.


New parking regulations in effect*NEW*

We have recently placed “No Parking” signs on the bell tower circle. This area is now reserved for emergency access and drop-off and pick-up use. If you are waiting for your child to arrive, you must remain at the wheel. Please park in designated spaces in the lot at all other times, even if you are running into one of the buildings for just a minute! This should make the morning and afternoon routines work more smoothly. Thank you for your cooperation!”


Parent Happenings
   
** - New Events  

Monday, 04/28 -

Tuesday, 05/13

Project Second Wind
Monday, 05/12

6th Grade to Raleigh Hills Assisted Living

Ms. Tooley/Mr. Adams' class

Tuesday, 05/13

Volunteer Celebration

8:15 AM OES Dining Hall

Wednesday, 05/14** All School Mt. Hood Climb Service Day
Thursday, 05/15**

6th Grade Science Expo - Open House

7:00 - 8:30 PM

Monday, 05/19

6th Grade to Raleigh Hills Assisted Living

Ms. Lynch's class

Monday, 05/19**

MS Instrumental Concert

All Bands & 6th Grade Strings

7:00 - 9:00 PM Chapel

Tuesday - Wednesday

05/20 - 05/21

The Great OES Book Swap (GOBS)

Lower School Library

Monday, 05/26** NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
Tuesday, 06/10

Middle School Promotion Celebration

6:00 - 10:00 PM Governor Hotel

   

* NEW* - scroll down to see what's new this week or new information added to existing events

 

Mount Hood Climb Service Day*NEW*

For the past 21 years, on the second Wednesday in May, students and faculty from Oregon Episcopal School have engaged in service projects throughout the Portland area. This is our Mount Hood Climb Service Day, a day when the OES family joins together to offer our tangible appreciation for the community surrounding us.

The 2008 Mt. Hood Climb Service Day takes place next Wednesday, May 14th. It begins with a brief all school gathering around our Belltower at 8:30 am. All members of our community are welcome to attend! Throughout the school, classes will be dismissed and modified for the day. Students, faculty and staff from all divisions will work in small groups both on and off campus. OES representatives will visit over forty different agencies throughout the greater Portland area. In helping these agencies we extend a helping hand to children, animals, the elderly, the environment, and to people living in poverty, in hunger, or without homes. On campus projects will include environmental work with the OES wetlands and other areas needing care.

The Mt. Hood Climb Service Day is recognized as the cornerstone of our service learning program. It is clearly an important day to the OES community and an appropriately long-standing tradition of the school. For more information, feel free to contact Head Chaplain .


6th Grade Science Expo*NEW*

Thursday, May 15th from 7:00 p. m. – 8:30 p. m. the Science Expo Open House showcasing sixth grade research will be held here in the MS Commons. Student research teams will be available at their presentation boards to discuss their projects. This will be a great event to see not only impressive science, but to celebrate the work done by the entire sixth grade class. This is not a judged competition, but rather an Open House. We hope to see you there!


6th Grade Canada Trip *DEADLINE APPROACHING*

The completed permission forms, passport and affidavit are all due in the MS office no later than Friday, May 16th. Please contact this year's trip leaders, Charley Adams and Lauran Pratt if you have any questions.


Only Two Weeks Until GOBS – Are You Ready??!*NEW*

The 2008 Great OES Book Swap will be held in the Lower School Library on Tuesday, May 20th and Wednesday, May 21st , 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The last day to donate books is NEXT TUESDAY, May 13th. From 7:30 to 8 a.m., FOESL volunteers will collect books at the Lower School walkway. Please label your bags and boxes of books in order to receive book-swapping points.

Points are assigned by book types – 1 point for children’s paperbacks, 2 points for children’s hardbacks and adult paperbacks, 4 points for adult hardbacks – and credited to individual student, parent, or staff member. For purchasing, points are redeemed one-for-one for your first 25 points. If your book donations total more than 25 points, redemption for your 26th through 100th point is at 1/2 value. And, if more than 100 points are donated, those points beyond 100 are worth 1/4 value. (Need clarification? Please contact , 503-238-6209, or other GOBS volunteers.)

On the first day of GOBS, you may only purchase books by redeeming points. On Day Two, points or cash may be used. Prices are set by book types: 25 cents for children’s paperbacks, 50 cents for children’s hardbacks or adult paperbacks, $1 for adult hardbacks. Happy Swapping and Shopping on May 20th and 21st!

(GOBS is a biennial event brought to you by FOESL, especially to encourage summer reading, and to raise money to support OES libraries, bring guest authors to school, and promote reading within the extended OES community.)


Last Week of School Schedule*NEW*

Monday, June 9th - Regular School Day

  • MBS On Site Text Book Repurchase – 7:30 AM – Noon
  • 8th Grade Closing Exercises Rehearsal
  • 8th Grade Oral History Luncheon – 11:00 – 1:00
  • 6th & 7th Grade Advisory Lunches - 11:30-1:30

Tuesday, June 10th - 10:00 AM - 6th & 7th Advisory Awards Chapel – Parents Invited!

  • (6’s & 7’s do not have to be at school until 9:45 although there will be adults here for those who need to come earlier)
  • 11:30 – 8th Graders arrive for photos
  • 12:45 PM – Closing Exercises
  • 3:00 PM – End of the 2007-08 School Year!

Sixth and seventh grade parents are invited to join us for the Awards Chapel in the morning. We regret that we only have room for eighth grade families at the Closing Exercises.


8th Graders and Parents*NEW*

You will receive an invitation to the Class of 2012 Middle School Promotion Celebration this week. Please plan to celebrate at the Governor Hotel on Tuesday, June 10th at 6:00pm. Tickets are $30 pre person and will be billed to your OES account.

The evening will include dinner, dancing and great entertainment! Dress is casual (Think OES Social)

Please by May 16th.

If you have any questions about the evening, please call Cindy Plummer or Diane Shiffer.


News & Notes

 

6th Grade Service Learning at Raleigh Hills Assisted Living
For four consecutive Mondays sixth grade students will be walking with their humanities class to the Raleigh Hills Assisted Living Center to recite poems, share creative writings from this years writing workshops, and of course to visit with senior citizens. Students will leave at 9:50 with their humanities teacher and a parent volunteer. RHAL is 1.5 miles away through quiet neighborhood streets. We will return in time for lunch. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please call your child’s humanities teacher. This is a rain or shine field trip so please send your child to school that day dressed for the weather. Umbrellas would be great just in case!

4/28 Ms. Holmberg’s class
5/5 Mrs. Strudwick’s Class
5/12 Ms. Tooley/Mr. Adam’s Class
5/19 Mrs. Lynch’s class


Project Second Wind begins!

The middle school grade which brings in the most canned/nonperishable food between April 28th and May 13th wins an EXTRA no-homework night and an ice cream party during advisory!

April 28th we kick off the annual all-school canned/nonperishable food drive for Neighborhood House. A spin-off of the statewide effort Project Second Wind, our food drive supports our nearby agency, Neighborhood House. Their Emergency Food Box program supplies food to families and individuals in Southwest Portland who have trouble making ends meet, and helps to feed 800 people per month. All divisions of the school and the parish of St. John the Baptist Church participate in this effort, which is coordinated by the All-School Service-Learning Committee. The Food Drive ends on May 14, Mount Hood Climb Service Day, when Middle School students deliver the food to Neighborhood House.

Contact for more information


Volunteer Celebration!

Fun, food, frivolity, door prizes!

OES treasures all our incredible volunteers. If you have volunteered at OES this year, even for an hour, come for breakfast, fun, door prizes, and a great time with other volunteers, on Tuesday, May 13, at 8:15 am in the Dining Hall. We hope to see you there!


8th Grade Poems*DEADLINE APPROACHING*

With your 8th grader away on a language trip (or here but with much less school work and stress), you have lots of free time to finish your poem.The poetry book is being formatted currently, and any poem received after May 9th will not be included in the book.To borrow a phrase from Nike: JUST DO IT! If you have any questions or need any help, please call Nancy Greene 503-297-0444. Finished poems should be emailed to .


See new books in the MS Library!!!

Book reviews and links!! It’s an interactive blog!! Now Available on the right hand side of The Messenger or the MS Library Home page!! Write comments on the blog using your Google/Blogger account. It’s easy to set up. Please come to the library if you need help.


Make your Doctor appointments early!

All 9th, 11th, and all new students for the 2008-09 school year will need a physical and a sports pre-participation form completed by parents and their physicians before school begins in the fall. Forms will be sent to you soon.


All School T-shirts are coming!!*DEADLINE APPROACHING*

All School T-shirts order forms are due in the office by May 9th. Look for order forms in each division office, Youth and adult sizes, XS - XL. Short sleeve: $10; Long sleeve $12 or you may download the form here.


OES Summer Programs

This summer there are more options than ever to learn new things in our summer camps. Your student can prepare for the PSAT, take a Writing Workshop, or improve their grammar skills. Become accomplished this summer in digital photography or make an animated film. Play pirates for a week or take a puppet making class. It is all there in the OES Challenge Workshops! Sign up online by going to: www.oes.edu/summer. Questions? Call me or stop by the Summer Programs Office, Rm 35 in Scott House 503.768.3145.


 

 

 

 
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