Voice Newsletter
Updated January 15, 2010
Alumnae/i and current students attend Ice Cream Social
News From Jordan Elliott
It
is amazing that winter vacation was only two short weeks ago. The
campus and Upper School have been so busy that it seems like we’ve been
back in school for months! Among the exciting events of 2010, we
are particularly proud to again have a student named as one of 300
Intel Science Talent Search Semi-Finalists this year.
Congratulations to Josh Steinberg, his family, and the science
faculty.
The Curriculum and Learning Committee (CLC) is a standing group of US and PreK-12 department and program leaders that meets monthly to discuss the curriculum of the US and the experience of students. This fall, the CLC has been engaged in a co-curricular review. The first program that we assessed is Discovery (for those of you unfamiliar with the program, please see the description on the webpage). After much research, discussion and debate, the CLC found that the goals of Discovery can be met through the existing and well-supported Winterim and Service Learning programs. Therefore, the group voted unanimously to replace the existing Discovery graduation requirement with new opportunities and outreach from Winterim and Service Learning. This change will go into effect for the class of 2011. This short update does not do justice to the depth of the conversation so please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Please be aware that we have two days of no school in the next two weeks. First, there will be no school on Monday, January 18, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Second, teachers will use the day on Friday, January 29, to write semester comments. Please also be aware that we will only be using the online Parent Portal system to share comments with parents in early February. If you are having any issues accessing the Portal, please contact the technology staff or Deri Bash.
Calendar of Upcoming Event
- Jan. 15-17: OMEA Conference and All-State in Eugene
- Jan. 16 - Dancing with the Stars Semi-Formal, 8-11:00 pm
- Jan. 18 - No school. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Jan. 19 - 11th Grade PAL meeting, 8:00 am
- Jan. 19 - Graduation Party Committee Meeting, 9:30 am
- Jan. 20 - Dorm Family Dinner Night in Dining Hall, 6:00 pm
- Jan. 22 - AASK Friend Raising Breakfast, 8:00 am
- Jan. 24 - Old Girl-New Girl Tea, 3:00 pm
- Jan. 25 - 12th Grade PAL Meeting, 8:00 am
- Jan. 25 - Winter Instrumental Concert, 7:00 pm
- Jan. 26 - Community Coffee with Kathy Layendecker, 8:00 am
- (www.mysignup.com/Kathy)
- Jan. 27 - Dorm Family Dinner Night in Dining Hall, 6:00 pm
- Jan. 28 - Feb. 5: Midwinter Madness
- Jan. 28 - Community Open Forum, 8:30 am; 1:30 pm; 6:00 pm
- Jan. 28 - End of first semester
- Jan. 28 - Uganda Winterim Student Meeting, 6:30 pm
- Jan. 29 - No School, Teacher Work Day
- Feb. 1 - 9th Grade PAL Meeting, 8:00 am
OES Response to Haitian Earthquake (New)
By all accounts, the information we are seeing indicates an enormous
tragedy unfolding for the people of Haiti. In keeping with the
mission of our school, the community of OES will most certainly respond
to this event and to those affected. I have written a longer
letter detailing immediate possibilities, as well as our established
“second wave” response plan to national and international crises.
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me
Semi-Formal Dance "Dancing with the Stars"
The OES Semi-Formal Dance “Dancing with the Stars” will be held on Saturday the 16th of January at the Crown Ballroom. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 a person (cash or charge) or $18 at the door (cash or charge).
Dress: blazers and ties or
semi-formal dresses and SPARKLES! Students may invite one person
from outside OES if the date is registered by Wednesday 13 at 3:00pm.
Crown Ballroom (accessible from the MAX).
918 SW Yamhill, 5th floor (www.crownballroom.com),
Saturday, January 16, 8-11:00 pm
Questions? Contact
Katrina Perry
Aardy’s Party 4.17.2010, The Age of Aquarius
Good morning Starshine, the auction committee is singing a song and wants you to join along!
Next meeting Thursday, January 21, 1:00 p.m. in the Charlton Room.
One way to support the auction is by soliciting or purchasing an ad for the auction catalog.
Some far out ideas:
*Friends and family who own a business
*Local businesses that you support-spas, salons, restaurants, sporting goods
*Good wishes for the success of the auction
*A way to publicly honor your child’s class or to thank the school or a special teacher.
Click here for online advertising form. Full, 1/2 and 1/3 page ads available. Camera ready ads are due February 18, 2010.
Procurement is what’s happen’ now, so drop off your forms at the auction office. The committee’s top 3 wish list: A Puppy, An Oregon Beach Home, and A Sun Valley Home. Forms are available in divisional offices. Deadline for donations is Thursday, March 19, 2010.
To Volunteer, or for advertising and procurement questions, please email auction coordinator
Lacie
Annual Friend Raising Breakfast (New)
Take flight with us!
In celebration of your support for AASK
please join us for the Annual Friend Raising Breakfast
Friday, January 22
8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
OES Dining Hall
RSVP to
Gisela Walitzki
AASK is a community-based education program of Oregon Episcopal School carried out in an intercultural partnership with Vose Elementary and Whitford Middle School. Its purpose is to bring students together to deepen language skills, inspire service learning, foster intercultural and family ties and to have fun.
SAVE THE DATES!
AASK Day Camp is June 26 – July 31. Applications are Open for Day Camp Counselors (high school graduates) and Counselors-in-Training (High School Students).
See Myra For Details or
email her.
New Tutoring Opportunities for AASK 
Keep an eye out for the new spring tutoring session for Vose on Tuesdays and Thursdays! It will start mid-February with training starting the first week of February. Tutors may also be needed for Whitford on Monday and Wednesdays as well. Please see ASAC chair Leah Metcalf, or Myra Clark for more information and answers to any questions you may have!
Community Open Forums: Visioning (New)
Thursday January 28
Using listening session results as well as the feedback you offered on January 6, the Vision Steering Committee will create a vision statement for OES, and present it to you on January 28, at the following times:
8:30 – 10:00 am in Middle School Commons
1:30 – 3:00 pm in Middle School Commons
6:00 – 8:00 pm in Middle School Commons
This
vision statement will serve as the foundation for the development of
OES's new strategic plan, and the job description for our next Head of
School.
Please put these dates in your calendar. Your participation is important to the future of OES.
Winter Plays
Mark your calenders now for the Winter One-Acts. Three short plays written by seniors, directed by the playwrights, and performed by students will be performed in the Great Hall February 24-27, 2010. Tickets will go on sale February 1st so watch for details in the Voice.
Winter Concert (New)
All are invited to the US Instrumental Winter Concert on Monday, January 25 at 7:00 pm in the Great Hall for some wonderful music presented by the US Jazz Band, the US Jazz Combo, the US Symphonic Orchestra, and the US Dance Ensemble. Directors: Derek Sims, Adam Steele and Lizz Brown.
College Counseling (New)
We will be in touch soon with parents and students about beginning our college counseling with the juniors. For now, please mark your calendars for the College Panel for Parents of Juniors, Wednesday, February 3 @ 7:00 p.m. in the Great Hall. A panel of college admissions officers and an OES parent will discuss various aspects of the college search and admissions process. We will give you more details soon. The juniors will be working with the college admissions officers the following morning.
SAT Prep Class Offered at OESThis seven-week course will teach students the critical reading, math and writing skills that are needed to perform well on the SAT. Students will gain hands-on experience through taking a practice SAT and will learn effective score-enhancing strategies that are specific to the SAT. In addition, we will cover the psychology of test-taking as well as proven methods for overcoming test anxiety. Each student will receive their own book, The Official SAT Study Guide 2.
This course is taught by Douglas Bloch, a teacher, author and counselor. He obtained his BA in math and psychology from New York University and his MA in counseling from the University of Oregon. He is the author of 12 books on personal development, including The Power of Positive Talk: Words to Help Every Child Succeed.
10th-11th Grade
March
3-April 28 (no class Mar. 17 or Mar. 24) Wednesday, 7:00-8:30 p.m. (7
classes), Location: DC 206, Cost: $200, includes book. Questions?
Contact Joan Lowe
Community Diversity Link Announcements
Books and Breakfast
Friday, Feb 19, 8:00-9:30am, OES Dining Hall
Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
By Barack Obama
In
recognition of Black History Month, our February book discussion will
feature the autobiography of Barack Obama, our country’s first Black
President. In this highly-praised memoir written before his political
ascendance, Obama shares his emotional journey to understand his own
family heritage and racial identity as the son of an absent Black
African father and a white American mother. Obama is candid about
racism and poverty and the story resonates with universal themes of
love, obligation and loss while offering insights into the unusual life
and unique multicultural background of our current commander-in-chief.
Copies for sale in the Gallery Store for benefit of OES libraries.
Upcoming Books and Breakfast Discussion (date pending):
Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Contacts: Co-Chairs
503.292.6609 and
Anne Nedrow
Winterim 2010 - Update
All
students are now registered. Your student should have come home
with more information after January 14. In a new and wonderful
initiative, we are hoping to cover most of the costs for on-campus
courses during Winterim 2010. That means some of you will receive
a Winterim charge with your child’s monthly billing. Some of you
will not. There will continue to be a charge for all trips and all
courses which leave campus. Because this is the first year, and because
we allow students to choose from a wide range of courses, the budget
process has been difficult and imprecise. In some instances, even if
your student does not leave campus, there may be a fee. Rest
assured that the fee will be a small fraction of the full cost of the
course. Feel free to contact me if you have questions! Hope Stevens
Notable Women Making a Difference in the World (New)
Oregon Episcopal School invites the female students to participate in various panel discussions within the OES Notable Women Series. Through The Notable Women Series, OES hopes to expose the OES female students to a diversity of leadership roles that can be used to help improve the world.
The panel discussion, Notable Women Making a Difference in the World, will take place on January 21, 2010 from 7:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. in the Upper School, in The Pit.
We have three wonderful speakers lined up for the Notable Women Panel. Esme Culver is the wife of the late founder of Mercy Corp and travels the world helping people. Esme also founded a separate nonprofit agency, Emergence, which made it possible for young parents to obtain the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Maria Kosmetatos is the current President of the Portland-Mutare Sister City Association and has been a strong advocate for women and children affected by the AIDS crisis in Mutare. Annie Warner OES class of ’97, managed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s schedule, contracts and speaking engagements as well as travelled with him as a member of his entourage. Annie has also been an administrator for Mercy Corps and is currently a member of the leadership team at the Nike Foundation. Light breakfast will be served. We look forward to sharing this wonderful opportunity with the female upper school students at OES.
Financial Aid (New)
Financial
Aid packets were mailed earlier this month, if you haven’t received
yours and you would like to apply, please contact Jen Bash
Admissions applications are now available for 2010-2011
2010-2011 Admissions applications are due by Monday, February 1st!
If you are considering OES for another child in your family, please stop by or contact
Admissions Office
If you have friends, neighbors, or business associates who are
interested in OES, please forward this information to them and
encourage them to contact us soon. Pre-K and Kindergarten sibling and faculty/staff applicants will have their assessment day on Saturday, January 30. If you are planning to apply, please contact
Emily Pritchard
Midwinter Madness
WINTER FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT “RUN FOR CONGO WOMEN”
The Upper School’s annual winter fundraiser, Midwinter Madness, this year will again raise money for humanitarian aid to women and children in war-torn Congo through the organization “Run for Congo Women.” This cluster of fun, student-planned and student-run events will take place Jan. 28-Feb. 10. Parents are encouraged to attend and support the various Midwinter Madness events.
This year’s planned events include:
- CRUSH sales, in which students (and parents!) can send a bottle of CRUSH soda to someone they have a “crush” on.
- The annual Senior-Faculty Basketball Game, at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, in the OES gym. Admission: $3.
- PowderTuff Volleyball, in which teams of boys will compete in 6 v. 6 volleyball, at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at SPARC.
- The Mother of All Bake Sales, Tuesday-Friday, Feb 2-5 in the Great Hall, from 7:30 a.m. until baked goods run out each day.
- The Midwinter Madness Dance, 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. Admission TBA.
- Powderpuff Football, in which teams of girls from each of the Upper School classes play flag football, at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, on the OES turf field. Admission: $5
Other events are still in the planning stages! Stay tuned.
Parents, please be aware that students will be allowed to charge Midwinter Madness purchases to their OES accounts. You may wish to discuss with your child some limitations on these charges. Midwinter Madness purchases may also be made with cash or with checks made out to OES (please indicate “Midwinter Madness/Run for Congo Women” in the memo space). Approximately 50-75 percent of all Midwinter Madness purchases are tax-deductible, depending on the event/item.
More information about “Run for Congo Women” is available at the organization’s website: http://www.runforcongowomen.org/
If you have questions about Midwinter Madness, please contact the faculty coordinator,
Chris Myers
US PAL invites you to 'Get Schooled'
Please OES parents (grades 8 -12) join us on Friday, February 5 at 7:00 PM and take one of the following classes taught by our US faculty members. There are still spots available!
- Islam: Foundations and Contemporary Issues
- Wild About Bees: The Natural History of Wild and Domesticated Bees
- Fiction: Contemporary Fiction: Asian themes
- Poetry!: Oh, Yes, You CAN Do Poetry
- The Social Web: Dive into online collaborating, communication and understand the impact on privacy
- Sing, Sing, Sing: Regardless of when you last sang, we'll learn a song together. And maybe premiere on campus
We'll meet afterward for dessert in the Great Hall. For more information and to sign up for a class go to: www.mysignup.com/getschooled. Please contact your PAL rep (9: Betsy Leonard 10: Sarah Grewe 11: Eileen Pilkenton 12: Will Ilcisin) if we can help answer any questions.
Class Notes
Freshman Class
9th Grade PAL. Next meeting dates are: February 1, April 5, and May 3. Questions? Contact Betsy Leonard, 503/954-1133.
Sophomore Class
10th Grade PAL. Next meeting dates are: February 8, April 12, and May 10. Contact Sarah Grewe, 503/292-9609.
Junior Class
11th Grade PAL.
Our January meeting will be on a Tuesday, January 19, 2010 due to the MLK Jr. holiday. This meeting will be held in the Guild Room.
Jeffrey Sprague will be joining us to talk about technology as it is
currently used at OES, as well as how it may be used in the future. If
you have any questions or topics you'd like to have covered this year,
please contact Eileen Pilkenton at 503.297.8548.
Senior Class
12th Grade PAL.
Next meeting dates are on Mondays: January 25, February 23 (Tuesday),
April 26, and May 24. Questions? Contact Will Ilcisin, 503/642-9751.
In February, the 12th Grade PAL will be discussing two books: The Launching Years: Strategies for Parenting for Senior Year to College Life by Laura Kastner and Jennifer Wyatt, and Letting Go (Fifth Edition): A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger. Please join us!
Link to message regarding events leading up to Graduation 2010. Please note that the Senior Farewell on the attached link has been changed to 4:30 pm on June 16. The Family Dinner will begin at approximately 5:30 pm.
Yearbook Information
BABY PICTURES: There will be a baby picture page in the Yearbook for all of the seniors, so we are asking the parents to send us a baby picture of your son/daughter. This picture can be anything from newborn to preschool age. We would prefer color. We will be scanning these photos into the computer and you will receive them back right away. Or better yet, send them to me by email! The deadline is March 12th, 2010.
PARENT ADS: Many parents remember their individual graduates by sponsoring a Yearbook Parent Ad. This is an opportunity to advertise your business, give personal congratulations to the class as a whole, or write a special dedication to either an individual or a group (sports teams, clubs, best friends, etc.) The rates for the ads are as follows:
$260 – full page; $140 – half page;
$75 – quarter page; $40 – eighth page.
You
may submit the ad ready to print in a PhotoShop layout (please adjust
the size of the slide to match the size of the ad and include high
resolution photos – 300DPI), as a JPEG, or just send the pictures and
the text and the yearbook staff will arrange the layout for you.
Please make the check out to “OES Yearbook.” The deadline for
submission is March 12th, 2010. Because
space is limited, I would appreciate your letting me know if you are
interested in reserving a space as soon as possible! Questions?
Contact Dana Mosher Lewis
To submit information for the Voice, please email
Carlene Traverso