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| March 2, 2009 |
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This
is arguably my favorite Voice message to write of the year.
Winterim is upon us! Faculty and staff from across the school are
making final preparations for their Winterim courses and there is a
growing sense of excitement amongst the students. I look forward
to hearing back from our students headed to international locations
such as Southern India, Romania, France, and Spain. Students
staying on campus or in Portland are also certain to have a week of
unconventional learning and I am equally excited to hear about their
experiences.
I
will be spending the week of Winterim traveling to visit our families
in Korea, China, and Taiwan. I look forward to sharing our
program and school goals with families, alumni, and friends who cannot
benefit from the events we put on in Portland. As with last year,
I will report back on my trip at PAL meetings in April and, as usual, I
hope you will join us for grade level gatherings.
Believe
it or not, forecasting for next year’s classes will be upon us
shortly. Assistant Head of Upper School for Academics Deri Bash
and I are continuing our efforts to make course sign up more efficient
and accurate. We are also working hard to communicate with
parents, teachers, and students about how the process will work this
year. The process will begin with students and their academic
advisors in early April. Look for a print out of the courses your
child has selected in conjunction with his or her academic advisor to
come home the week of April 20. Course registration is only
finalized once parents have signed off on course choices. Please
feel free to contact your child’s advisor, a department chair, Deri or
me if you have any questions on courses for next year. I also
encourage you to discuss courses for next year with your child.
At
the beginning of the year, the Middle School and Upper School began
looking at our schedules to see if we could enhance student life and
the climate for learning at OES. Early on we found a great resource in
Portland, Dr. Mollie Galloway, who has spent several years both at
Stanford and now Lewis & Clark doing research on issues that relate
to student stress and student success. She has worked with a
number of schools, compiling data and “anecdotal” evidence. Thus
far, she has worked with our faculty committee on scheduling, met with
focus groups of students, and most recently presented at a PAL meeting
for parents grades 5-12. Dr. Galloway will continue to work with
us this year and next as we develop not just divisional schedules but a
school climate that promotes learning and healthy, happy kids.
Dr.
Galloway has generously given us her power point presentation from the
PAL meeting so that we can put it on our web site. It is a great
conversation starter for parents and families and I encourage you to
review it. Link to see the presentation. We will look for other opportunities for OES parents to engage with her.
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March 6: OES Science Fair
March 6: Books & Breakfast, 8:00 a.m.
March 7: 11th grade parent party, tba
March 8: Senior Tea at Portland Golf Club, 1:00 p.m.
March 9: Kevin Graham Parent Presentation, 7:00 p.m.
March 10: Winter Sports Awards Banquet, 6:30 p.m.
March 12-19: Winterim
March 20-29: Spring Break
March 22: PNACAC Spring Fair, 12-3:00 p.m.
March 30: Classes resume
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Gershwin Spoke of his Rhapsody as "A Musical Kaleidoscope of America”
Through this kaleidoscopic lens we view OES' Rhapsody in Blue and Green—an
event that brings the community together in one extended movement to
share our exuberance for educating the minds, bodies, and spirits of
students from PK to 12th grade. Your invitation to join in our musical
portrait of OES should be arriving in your mailbox soon. Consider
yourself a guest conductor and assemble a table of families from your
grade(s). Or invite your extended family to share in the ebullient
spirit of OES. In these challenging times, the Auction Committee has
worked diligently to make this a richly orchestrated evening at an
accessible ticket price. And accessible in other ways, too—this year,
you can purchase your tickets with the click of your mouse.Click here to make your secure online reservations today.
March Auction Committee Meeting (New Date, Time and Location)
Monday, March 16, 1:30 pm in the Charlton Room (outside the Business Office)
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Service Learning Opportunity
The
Prince William Sound Science Center is teaming up with Alaska River
Expeditions to bring you a great Alaska Eco Adventure program in
Cordova, Alaska. It is a chance to work with skilled educators to learn
about the ecosystems of Coastal Alaska. Trip Dates: July 5 – July 13,
cost: $1335 plus airfare. Information meeting: April 2. Questions
contact Tom Handel
, 503-416-9359. Link to brochure on this trip.
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OES
girls placed 3rd and boys placed 4th in the Metro league and both teams
qualified to go on to the state meet to be held at Mt. Bachelor March
4-6. Individual standouts include the following for their combined GS
and Slalom scores: Alicia M. '10 2nd place, Ashlynn C. '10 11th, and
Valerie F. '09 12th; Thomas C.'09 6th, Michael G.'09 13th, and Lito
N.10 15th. Lynne Johnston
OES Ski Team Parent Rep, (503) 643-3760
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Winterim begins on March 12 after lunch and continues until end of
school on March 19. Courses in town and on campus will begin at 8:00
a.m. and end at 2:55 p.m., UNLESS you hear differently from the course
leader. By the time you read this, we will be counting the days and
hours until we begin! Most of all, we hope your student's experiences
are enlightening, stretching, educational, and fun!
Trips & dates:
The dates vary. International Trips all extend into Spring Vacation.
The language exchanges leave the weekend of March 7. Trip leaders have
asked students to check in with their teachers and notify them of their
absences. Domestic Trips will mostly adhere to the Winterim dates but
some will extend into Spring Vacation by a day or so. All parents with
students on trips should have complete information about departure and
return.
Safety: We make it a priority.
Every trip leader has had a debriefing with Christina Meyerhoff,
Director of Safety. All courses which leave campus take appropriate
medical kits, contact, and other information for each student. Each off
campus form has been approved by Hope Stevens, Winterim Coordinator and
Jordan Elliott, Head of Upper School. On campus all standard safety
regulations are observed. Nevertheless, students in course groups will
travel in school buses, approved vans and SUVs, on public buses and
MAX. We encourage everyone to observe caution and the rules of the
road.
Attendance: for those in town, attendance will be reported as usual. Please call in any approved absences as soon as possible.
Contacting your student:
On international trips: As you well know, international use of cell
phones can be prohibitive. We suggest a serious conversation with any
student taking a cell phone abroad. All course leaders will have phones
for the school to contact. Please call the school if you have an
emergency so you and the Administrator on Duty can discuss how best to
deal with the situation. Please also remember the time changes to
Europe and India before placing a check-in call. It would be easy to
put your student in an embarrassing situation if a call came in during
class or in the middle of the night.
On Domestic Trips and In Town:
Please encourage your student to be respectful of the course
activities. Answering the phone in class at OES is frowned upon. The
same situation exists for watching plays, visiting museums, doing
service and building.
Happy Spring!! Questions? Contact
Hope Stevens
, 503-416-9309.
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Thank you to all the students, parents, faculty and staff members, and other friends who participated in and supported Midwinter Madness January 29-February 18, raising funds for Run for Congo Women.
The events were very successful, raising $12,570. That’s nearly double
the highest amount raised before by Midwinter Madness, and will allow
OES to sponsor over 30 women in Congo, as well as those women’s
children. We look forward to establishing a connection with those
Congolese women and seeing how our donations help them make a better
life under very difficult conditions in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. A few highlights of Midwinter Madness:
- We sold 2,300 bottles of CRUSH throughout the campus in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day.
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In
a new event called the Parental Perambulation, 30 OES moms—organized
and led by Ann Carter, Kara Ilg, and Eileen Pilkenton—each walked,
jogged, or cycled a mile and donated at least $30 each. This event paid
homage to the original 30-mile fundraising run with which Run for Congo
Women founder Lisa Shannon began her campaign to raise awareness about
the situation in Congo.
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The
junior class cruised to victory in the third annual staging of
Powderpuff Football, held on the turf field Feb. 18. The MVP award went
to junior flanker Annie Friar.
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In the inaugural PowderTuff Boys’ Volleyball Tournament, the faculty team triumphed, with the seniors taking second place.
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Students
from Catlin Gabel and many other area high schools joined us for a very
successful and fun “Jungle Dance.” Thanks to Catlin Gabel’s teachers
and administrators for supporting this event.
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In
the annual Senior-Faculty Basketball Game, held February 6, the seniors
broke all records for pregame fundraising, collecting $1,060, and also
held their own on the court to triumph in a closely fought and highly
entertaining contest, 154-146. MVP honors went to senior Sam Baker.
Special thanks to the Tualatin Hills Basketball Referees Association
for donating referees for the game.
A final word of thanks to the senior leaders of the Midwinter Madness committee, Oyana L. and Maggie McQ., to sophomore Laurie R.
for being an effective and inspiring liaison with Run for Congo Women,
and to the other members of the committee for their hard work and great
ideas:
Juniors
Sandhya B., Paige B., Steven B., Harris I., Alicia M., Mark M., Samuel
O. Willie P., Adam R., Jake S., Danny S., Kerry S., Ryan T., Jenni V.,
and Erika W.; Sophomores Samar F., Alexxa F., Chloe G., Elizabeth K., Kate K., Sarah L., Lila N., Hope S., and Sophie S.; and Freshmen Rachel B., Ella E., Sarah H., Alex H., Juergen K., Claire L., Jackson M., Elizabeth S., Scott S., and Sophia V.
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LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND EXCITING TO DO THIS SUMMER? Check
out the OES 2009 Summer Programs catalog at
http://www.oes.edu/Summer/index.htm!
You’ll be amazed at how many classes throughout the entire summer are
geared to Upper School students—classes to strengthen your skills and
for enrichment! Are you interested in 3D Modeling & Animation,
Digital Photography, or Computer Music Programming? Try Creative
Writing Skill Development, Geometry, or Financial Independence. There
is a Driver's Education course and private music lessons.
For Grades 10-12, we are offering a three-day SAT/PSAT/SAT 2 Prep &
Study Skills course. Renowned educator, Mr. Larry Krieger, is coming to
OES this summer to present his course for the first time on the West
Coast! Mr. Krieger is the author of four books on the SAT including the
leading vocabulary book "Direct Hits Vocabulary" and has just published
a book for AP History students. All materials for this comprehensive
course are provided.
You can register for any class online (see OES home page) or call Joan,
503.768.3145, or Marcy, 503.416.9244, in the Summer Programs office for
information or assistance.
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Annie
S., Class of 2009, is one of four students selected to play Prokofiev
Violin Concerto No.2 (1st movement) in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony
Concerti concert on March 15 at 1:00 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer
Concert Hall.
TIckets may be purchased at http://www.metroyouthsymphony.org/tickets.html.
Annie
was also selected 1st place in violin in the OMEA District 15
Solo/Ensemble Festival. She will participate in the State Solo
Festival on May 2 in Eugene. Angela C., Class of 2010, also qualified
for state ( 2nd place, soprano voice). Anshu Tirumali was selected 1st
alternate in alto sax.
Kris Van Auken accompanied Annie and Angela in their stellar performances.
Come and hear some fabulous choral music on April 1 at 6:45 p.m.at the annual All School Choir Concert.
The
following choirs will present some wonderful music to warm your
heart: Primary -2nd Grade Choir, 3rd-5th Grade Girl Choir; OES
Boys Choir; all MS Choirs; OES Boys DooWop; Sirens (US Girls Choir);
Acappella,;and US Concert Choir. Come one, come all!
Small Schools Invitational Choir Festival (League Choir)
Wednesday
, April 8, OES will be hosting the Small Schools Invitational Choir
Festival. We will have choirs from Catlin Gabel, Portland Christian,
Columbia Christian, Central Catholic including our choir participating,
and all are invited during a free period to come listen in the chapel.
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Spring tutoring remains vital for the students at Vose and Whitford in
AASK! Vose has to cut their after school program completely, and we
will be the ONLY resource for strengthening academic skills and for
homework help after school. Whitford is also cutting back on after
school programs. Tutoring is a big need and you can make a real
difference!
Vose Info:
• Tutoring is Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting on April 7 and ending May 21.
• Training counts for service because it is required and needed for
doing the work. Dates are March 31 and April 1(3:00 -4:40) and April 4,
(10 – 1:00), all at OES. We’ve divided the regular two sessions into
three so tutors can do a portion during the regular tutoring schedule.
• There will be between 21–25 hours of service learning (new tutors
earn more because they do more training).
• Service hours can be counted as on or off campus hours, or can be split.
Whitford Info:
• We go on Wednesdays, from 3:10 – 5:00 through May. There will be some
flexibility because of the field trip schedule.
• OES students help with homework and help lead service field trips.
Coming up: serving meals at Blanchet House on Friday, March 6, and a
weekend invasive plant removal project. We will also visit a nursing
home. We went to an assisted living center last week. We will go to
hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu on May 4. We work with students who have
often been in AASK since 3rd grade!
• Training will be done during the Vose AASK training, and will cover different material.
• There would be about 22 service hours available.
AASK Day Camp!
Applications are due from returning staff applicants no later than,
April 1. New staff applications are due April 15. Returning staff have
priority for hiring, assuming good recommendations from last summer.
However, there will be spots open for new staff as well. Decimate your
service learning requirements! Small stipends are also available for
day camp counselors.
If you haven’t been in AASK before, you would come in as a CIT, which
is a volunteer position that trains you and gives you experience to be
a day camp counselor. All those who have been at least CIT I and had
good recommendations are welcome to apply for a full day camp position
but must realize they may still be CIT IIs. Those who have completed
CIT II and who had good recommendations are invited to apply to be full
day camp counselors.
The application is posted online, and everyone including those who have
worked before should fill it out. If you have worked for AASK before
you do not need to supply references. Here is the link: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228R4BR2XRV
Dates:
June 22 – July 25, with 100% participation required. There is some
flexibility with CIT I positions, however you must talk about it with
Myra. Full participation is preferred.
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Edwards
takes on many themes in this novel, including the burden of secrets,
the heartache and triumph of raising children—and, most pointedly, the
need for developmentally disabled children to be fully accepted and
included in society. The Memory Keeper's Daughter reveals the
strength of family bonds under unique and difficult
circumstances. Angela Jarvis-Holland, of the NW Downs Syndrome
Association will be our guest as we discuss how we get beyond seeing
someone as a diagnosis and instead embrace our common humanity.
Future Books and Breakfast Discussion Meeting and Title:
May 1: THERE IS NO ME WITHOUT YOU by Melissa Fay Greene
Contact:
Lynne Johnston
, 503-643-3760,
Susan Phillips
, 503-292-6609, with questions, suggestions, and interests.
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PNACAC Spring College Fair (New)
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2009
Time: Noon-3:00 p.m.
Location: University of Portland, the Chiles Center
Contact:
Matt Deschner
Fair Information
Click here for a list of college fair participants
Sophomore Parent Meeting (New)
On
Tuesday evening, April 21, the college counselors will introduce the
college counseling program to the parents of the sophomore class. It
will be held in the Middle School Commons at 7:30 p.m. Other parents
are welcome to attend, but space is limited.
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Dear Parents:
For
the first time in 2009, the OES Science Fair is asking parents to serve
as interviewers of non-judged students participating in our fair. This
is the result of two changes: (a) the middle school will begin to have
some students not participate in the competition, either through
student choice or as a result of missing deadlines required by the fair
for submitting documents needed in advance by judges; and (b) the upper
school students, who have always had the option of not being judged,
will be interviewed simultaneous with the competition rather than just
at the open house.
The
fair will occur on Friday, March 6, 2009, and students will be
interviewed between 10:00 AM and Noon. Upper and Middle School teachers
will also serve as interviewers. We are recruiting help from parents so
we can interview students for 2 hours without much “stand-around” time.
If we have enough interviewers, our plan is to assign interviewers to
students in blocks of 5 minutes on and 5 minutes to write comments. You
do not need to have a science or engineering background. (We encourage
those of you with science and engineering backgrounds to volunteer as
judges for one of the other science fairs in our region, and you can
sign up on the Northwest Science Exposition web site.) We will provide
some guidance for interviewing, although you need not follow our
guideline if you have other points to address. We will also give you a
free response comment sheet to complete so that each student
interviewed can receive written feedback from you. If this works as
planned, each non-judged student will receive 24 feedback forms.
If you are willing and able to help us interview the non-judged students, please respond by email to
Bill Lamb
. Thanks in advance.
Bill Lamb,Co-Director, OES Science Fair
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FRESHMAN CLASS
Our next PAL meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 13, from 8-9:30 in the Drinkward Center Volunteer Room. Please contact
Sarah Grewe
at 503-292-9609 if you have any questions. Future meeting date is May 4.
SOPHOMORE CLASS
Please join us for our next PAL meeting
in the Volunteer Room of the Drinkward Center on Monday, April 20 from
8:00 - 9:30 am. Please contact Eileen Pilkenton (503-297-8548) if
you have any questions.
Sophomore Cultural event scheduled:
The entire sophomore class will be attending a performance of the Broadway musical Wicked
on Sunday, April 5, at 6:30 p.m. at the Keller Auditorium. Annually
sophomores have the opportunity to attend a local arts or cultural
event as part of the memorial to the students and faculty who died in
the Mt Hood Climb in 1986. Many of those students had been active in
theatre at OES, and an endowment was established to give each sophomore
class a special cultural opportunity. This year’s event was decided by
vote of the class. More information about this event will be available
closer to the date.
JUNIOR CLASS
11th Grade PAL
will meet on Monday, April 27 from 8-9:30 am in the DC Volunteer room.
Future meeting date is May 19 (Tues.) Questions? Contact Will Ilcisin,
503/642-9751.
March 7 is the date for the Junior Parent Party at the Horowitz home. Questions? Email
Will Ilcisin
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SENIOR CLASS
Due to winterim and spring break, we do not have a PAL meeting in March. Our next 12th grade PAL
meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 from 8-9:30 a.m. in the DC
Volunteer Room and our very last meeting will take place on Monday, May
18 in the DC Volunteer Room. At our April meeting we are hoping to coax
back some parents of students who graduated last year so they can
relate their perspective on their child's experiences during the first
few months of college. In addition we will be discussing graduation and
the graduation party. Please join us. If there are other topics of
interest to you, please contact Nancy Greene
,
503-297-0444.
The Senior Tea is on Sunday, March 8, at 1 pm at the Portland Golf Club. Please RSVP to
Anne Weston
no later than March 2.
Link to message regarding events leading up to Graduation 2009.
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