Updated October 16, 2009

Seniors help the alumnae/i office archive photos from past decades.

News From Jordan Elliott

Today, we wrap up our second annual Octoberim Health and Wellness days.  I have heard from seniors that their time with the college counselors was particularly helpful, productive, and exhausting!  I hope those seniors who traveled had fruitful visits to colleges.  The ninth graders reported that while the morning ERB sessions were not particularly fun, the afternoon activities each day were a welcome respite.  Sophomores and juniors benefited from Paula Sutton’s exemplary organization of the PSAT and we hope that they found the content of their respective relationship retreats useful.  All and all, Octoberim appears to be a success again this year.  As usual, I welcome any feedback.  Feel free to send me an email with your thoughts: elliottj@oes.edu.

As Jon von Behren’s communication on October 9 detailed, we are encouraged that our community has stayed relatively healthy during this year’s first exposure to the H1N1 flu.  This is in large part due to the diligence of our community to stay home with a fever or flu like symptoms.  Thank you and please continue to keep your children home if they are sick.  Even with these precautions, there have been periods when we have had more students and teachers sick than we are accustomed.  However, I have had numerous reports from teachers and parents that our new technology tools, particularly Google Apps, have facilitated learning despite absences from school.  Again, your feedback is welcome.

Last Thursday I delivered my annual State of the Upper School address to the students and faculty.  Overall, the Upper School is in good shape!  I believe it is valuable to communicate about important challenging topics.  My hope is that your children came home with some thoughts on the goals that Interim Head of School Kathy Layendecker and I have set for ourselves to continue the growth of our school.  If not, then perhaps they raised the topics of our Visioning, Strategic Planning, and Head of School Search process and how students can be involved.  Or, perhaps most likely, they shared the philosophy of our new food management company, Bon Appétit, and how its approach gives some context to the changes in the Dining Hall that have resulted in much discussion and debate.  In any case, I invite you to raise this presentation and the topics it covered for discussion at home.

A natural place to continue discussions prompted by the state of the US and other topics in the US is at monthly PAL meetings.  I’ve enjoyed my time with parents of ninth and tenth graders and look forward to meeting with parents of juniors and seniors in the next two weeks.  We’ve had a great turnout so far and, as usual, I want to encourage you to join us.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

Oct 19: 11th Grade PAL Meeting, 8 am, DCVR

Oct 19: Graduation Party Meeting, 9:30 am, DCVR

Oct 21: FOESL Meeting, 8:00 am, Charlton Room

Oct 21: Ski meeting, 6:30 pm, Great Hall

Oct 22: Books & Breakfast, 8 am, Dining Hall

Oct 23: Last day of Xmas Wreaths & Holiday Greens Sale

Oct 25: NACAC College Fair, 1-5:00 pm, OR Convention Center

Oct 26: NACAC College Fair, 9 am-12:00 pm, OR Convention Center

Oct 26: 12th Grade PAL Meeting, 8 am, DCVR

Oct 28: US Picture Re-takes, 8 am - 1 pm, Great Hall

Oct 29: Auction Committee Meeting, 1 pm, Charlton Room

Oct 30: Blood drive, 8-11 am

Oct 31: Halloween

Blood Drive (New)

Halloween Blood Drive Friday 10/30!!! Come in costume, sign up in advance or take your chances and drop in. Appointments start at 8am and finish at 11am. Registration will be in the US Lobby (below the dining room). Priority given to students with appointments, but parents are welcomed. If you want to sign up, e-mail Rob Orr . Give BLOOD on Halloween!!

Fall Musical Play (New)

Blast off on a routine flight and crash into the planet D'Illyria where a sci fi version of The Tempest set to rock and roll golden oldies unfolds with glee. The planet is inhabited by a sinister scientist, Dr. Prospero; his delightful daughter Miranda; Ariel, a faithful robot on roller skates; and an uncontrollable monster, the product of Prospero's Id, whose tentacles penetrate the space craft.

Don’t miss this OES Upper School musical!  Singing, dancing, and way over the top fun for all.

November 18 – 21, 2009 in the Great Hall at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10 general admission and $7 students and senior citizens and can be purchased beginning October 15, 2009 at the OES Gallery Store or by going to Ticket Turtle at:  https://www.ticketturtle.com/index.php?show=10807

Reserve your seats and be a part of this unforgettable rock and roll adventure.

Auction Committee Meeting

Thursday, October 29 from 1-3:00 in the Charlton Room. Everyone is welcome to our auction planning sessions. Join the fun and help make plans for our April 17, 2010 auction. We hope to see you there!

Introducing our 2010 Auction Chair, eighth grade parent and past chair, Teri Beatty teribeatty@windermere.com

FOESL MEETING – October 21, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. (New)

Friends of OES Library (FOESL) thanks everyone who came to our September 23rd meeting! Our next meeting is October 21, 2009 in the Charlton Room. Please come join FOESL to discuss volunteering and Book Fair opportunities! Everyone is welcome and we are always excited to add Friends to our special and fun-loving group! FOESL meets once a month, Wednesday mornings from about 8:05 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. If you have any questions, please contact the FOESL Co-Chairs: Diane Polscer or Kim Bissell .

OES 2009 ALL-SCHOOL BOOK FAIR

Coming November 17, 18, 19 (New)

Support the OES libraries! Get your holiday-gift shopping done early!

Enjoy the convenience of a mini-Powell’s right here at OES!

The Friends of the OES Libraries (FOESL) present the OES All-School Fall Book Fair, again in one location—the Upper School Library.  Books for readers of all ages, brought to you by Powell’s, the legendary independent bookstore. Proceeds go to FOESL for programs to promote reading and literature in all divisions.

Book Fair Hours:     Tuesday, November 17, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm

                                    Wednesday, November 18, 7:30 am -- 7:00 pm

                                    Thursday, November 19, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm

Special pre-ordering opportunity: To give you the widest selection possible and to assure that the books you want to purchase are available at the Book Fair, we offer the opportunity to pre-order specific titles. You may shop the entire inventory of Powell’s online and pre-order any new books offered there. The books will be available for you to pick up at the Fair. Pre-ordering books constitutes a commitment to purchase those books.

Click here for a pre-order form.

Completed pre-orders must be returned by Friday, November 6th.

Please follow detailed instructions printed on the form.

PLEASE NOTE: We can only accept cash, check, or charges to your OES account as payment.
Parents, please print out a copy of the Student Charge Form, authorize a dollar amount, and return to your child(ren)’s librarians.

New this year: Book Fair customers have an opportunity to support literacy enrichment at Vose Elementary School and Community Transitional School by purchasing one or more paperback books requested by teachers at those schools. Vose, part of the Beaverton Public Schools, is a partner of OES through the AASK program. Community Transitional School, in Southeast Portland, a longtime beneficiary of the Upper School’s “Cereal Thursday” drives, is a non-profit school for homeless and displaced children. The book drive for these schools is part of “Echoes,” a schoolwide, year-long celebration of the love of reading and writing.

For more information, please contact the Book Fair co-chairs:

Lien Vu-Brenner (503-848-6935) or Kim Bissell (503-288-3150).

Thank You For Supporting The OES Libraries.

OES Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day (New)

Tuesday, November 24, 8:00 am-10:45 am

Invitations will be sent to OES grandparents and special friends who are invited to a morning of campus activity. Grandparents’ Day visitors will enjoy a continental breakfast with student musical performances. Due to parent/teacher conferences, grandparents of Upper School students are invited to join Jordan Elliott for a tour of the school. Students may join their grandparents on campus. All guests are invited to attend the first through fifth grade morning chapel. We would like to extend this invitation to all OES grandparents and special friends. If you have not updated their contact information, please email Marianne Johnson in the Development Office.

Winterim (New)

Winterim Assembly will be during X-Period on Thursday, October 29. All courses will be on Winterim Website that day.

Course registration will be from the conclusion of the Assembly until

3:00 p.m.,November 6. It is very important that students register in the allowed timeframe. Each student is asked to list 5 choices (Choices will be domestic trips, all-day courses, or morning and afternoon courses. For half day courses, students must register for both a morning and an afternoon course.)

It is our plan that students will register on line, then the printed form will be handed back in advisory on November 10. Students MUST get a signature from a parent and advisor before re-submitting the form by November 16 at

3:00 p.m.

After that, placing students in courses will begin. Questions? Contact Hope Stevens , Winterim Coordinator.

The OES Fund (New)

We’ve already raised over $80,000!

The OES Fund is an annual fundraiser benefiting the operating budget.

Your donation supports every student, activity, and program at OES…every day!

We have two goals: increasing dollars raised & increasing participation.

Please consider making your commitment early so we can reach these goals asap!

Giving is easy….you can give online or by mail. OES accepts cash, checks, stock, Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and the Discover Card.

To maximize your gift amount you can authorize a schedule of recurring credit card gifts.

By pledging now to donate a specific dollar amount later, you are counted immediately as a parent participant.

You have until June 15, 2010, the end of the appeal, to fulfill your pledge.

Unsure about how much to give? Follow this link to view our Giving Levels.

Employer Matching Gifts
Donations from employer matching gift programs raised more than $66,000 for OES last year. These gifts benefit the OES Fund and other initiatives such as special appeals for financial aid, sports and performing arts programs and campus improvements. A matching gift is a unique way to give as it brings your employer into a relationship of support for OES. For only a few minutes of your time, you may double or even triple your cash contribution and/or obtain a match for volunteer hours. Don’t know if your employer offers this benefit? Click here to research, and to see a list of companies matching charitable contributions to OES in 2008-09. Questions? Contact Margarett Kahl, 503.416.9369

Music Department (New)

OMEA All-State Ensemble Nominations

The following students were nominated by their music teachers Adam Steele and Derek Sims  to the OMEA (Oregon Music Teachers Association) All-State Ensembles for their high level of skills and dedication to their instruments.

If selected to participate in the All State Honor Ensembles, these students will have the honor of rehearsing and performing with other top music students  from Oregon under the direction of some of the finest conductors in the nation. 

All-State honor groups will rehearse and perform during the annual OMEA

State Conference, January 14-17, 2010 in Eugene.   Congratulations to all!

All State High School Choir:

Claire Londagin, soprano

Chloe Louaillier, alto

Isabel English, soprano

Allie Hong, soprano

Kelly Carson, soprano

Leah Metcalf,alto

Alyssa Lund, alto

Justin Murray, tenor

Angela Chou, soprano

Laurie Rumker, soprano

All State High School Orchestra:

Brian Yang, cello

All State High School Jazz Band:

Tree Palmedo, trumpet

Aask News (New)

AASK Tutoring Starts Thursday, November 5! Training begins the week of October 27, dates to be announced!

AASK tutoring is a great way to make new friends, earn service learning hours, and help a child who needs academic enrichment to do better in school. Along the way, strengthen your communication skills, inspire others, foster intercultural relationships, and have fun. We need you! Tutoring is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:30 pm for a trimester (if you have sports, wait for a time when you aren’t playing something). Snacks are provided, and transportation is included. If you are a new tutor or haven’t tutored in the past year, attendance at training is required. As long as you fulfill your trimester commitment, you will also receive service learning hours for training.

A 100% commitment is required. Schoolwork and other activities must be planned around your AASK schedule. You can do it! Join us and make a difference in a child’s life.

Please see or email Leah Metcalf, chair of the AASK Student Advisory Council, or any other ASAC member, if you have more questions. Applications are outside Area 51, which is in the Great Hall by the Learning Center. It’s easy to find! Hope to see you in AASK! Myra Clark (clarkm@oes.edu) Director, AASK

Financial Aid Informational Meeting (New)

Financial Aid--Presentation on Financial Aid for OES and College: Tuesday, December 8 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the Dining Hall. A presentation for parents about financial aid at OES and need- and merit-based financial aid options for college--with time for questions. For more information, contact Rob Orr ,Director of Financial Aid at OES, or Paula Sutton , Director of College Counseling.

College Counseling

Portland National College Fair, Oregon Convention Center

Sunday, October 25, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.  / Monday, October 26, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

The National College Fair is an excellent opportunity for juniors (and some sophomores and seniors) to investigate college options. For details, see

the link here, go to the College Admissions page within the OES website, or go to www.nationalcollegefairs.org.

Community Diversity Link(New)

Books and Breakfast: Thursday, October 22, 8-9:30 am, Dining Hall

STUBBORN TWIG Autho Visit by Lauren Kessler

Please join us to hear author Lauren Kessler share her perspectives on this true story of how racism affects the emotions and choices of three generations of a Japanese American family living in Oregon. Lauren directs the graduate program in literary journalism at the University of Oregon.  Copies of Stubborn Twig and other Books and Breakfast titles may be purchased from the OES Gallery Store to benefit the OES Book Fair library fundraiser. It is not necessary to read the book in order to participate in the author talk and group discussion.

Books and Breakfast: Thursday, November 12, 8-9:30 am, Dining Hall

COUNTING COUP by Larry Colton

Please join us to hear Portland author Larry Colton tell his story of traveling as a journalist to the Crow Indian reservation in Montana where he followed a suspenseful, girls’ high school basketball season in which the players faced the challenges of fierce competition while dealing with alcoholism, broken families and racial conflict.  Larry is a popular speaker and founding leader of Wordstock, Portland’s annual literary festival.

THE SOLOIST: A LOST DREAM, AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP, AND THE REDEMPTIVE POWER OF MUSIC by Steve Lopez (December 10, 8-9:30 am)

DREAMS FROM MY FATHER: A STORY OF RACE AND INHERITANCE by Barack Obama (Date pending)

Please contact Co-Chairs Susan Phillips (503 292-6609) and Anne Nedrow (503 297-3593) with your questions, suggestions and interests.

Family Host Opportunities

Again this year we are privileged to have two girls from Goulburn Valley Grammar School in Victoria, Australia, visiting from Nov. 14 - Dec. 5. These bright young women would be a great addition to any home; we are looking for two fabulous families to host these girls. What a wonderful international experience to share! Please contact me for more information at wangx@oes.edu, by office phone 503-416-9338 or cell phone 503-267-5119. Thank you for considering opening your home to our Aussie guest OESians!

Class Notes

Freshman Class
9th Grade PAL meets from 8-9:30 am in the Drinkward Center Volunteer Room. PAL meetings provide an opportunity for faculty to communicate with parents about upcoming events and for parents to ask questions or voice concerns. Meeting dates are: November 2, January 4, February 1, April 5, and May 3. Questions? Contact Betsy Leonard, 503/954-1133.

Sophomore Class
10th Grade PAL meets from 8-9:30 am in the Drinkward Center Volunteer Room. Meeting dates are: November 9, January 11 (Guild Rm), February 8, April 12, and May 10. Questions? Contact Sarah Grewe, 503/292-9609.

Junior Class

Our first 11th Grade PAL meets Monday, October 19 from 8-9:30 am in the Volunteer Room of the Drinkward Center.  We'll hear from our new Class Advisor, Coleen Davis, and the Junior Grade Dean, Deb Walsh.   If you have any questions or topics you'd like to have covered this year, please contact Eileen Pilkenton at 503.297.8548.

Each year the junior parents plan the all-night grad party for the seniors. It's a big project and there are lots of ways to help, both with the planning, and the party itself. If you are interested in helping, please join us for our first meeting, immediately after our PAL meeting on Monday, October 19 from 9:30-10:30 am in the Volunteer Room of the Drinkward Center.

Next Thursday, October 22, Lauren Kessler will be speaking at the Community Diversity Link 'Books and Beverages' gathering about her book, Stubborn Twig.She is the Director of the Literary Nonfiction Program at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. She will also speak to the Junior class that same morning during X-period. It is a great opportunity for them as they begin working on their Literary Journalism Project this fall. Please see the Community Diversity Link note in this Voice for more information.

Senior Class

12th Grade PAL meets October 26 from 8-9:30 am in the Drinkward Center Volunteer Room. Meeting dates are on Mondays: November 30, January 25, February 23 (Tuesday), April 26, and May 24. Please reserve the evening of November 14 for a Senior Parent Potluck. Questions? Contact Will Ilcisin, 503/642-9751.

SENIOR MUG SHOTS: Sometimes seniors submit a studio photo to be used in place of their school photo for the yearbook. This is not required. Sending a digital photo to me is the easiest way, otherwise we will scan the photo and return it to the student. Dana Lewis

SENIOR PHOTO GUIDELINES

Head and shoulders only

Background color – any

Print size – 2.5” X 1.75 “

Quality - 300 DPI

Head size – 1.5”

Deadline – December 1, 2009

Sports

(New)

Interested in ski racing this year?

Parents and Racers: Please attend this mandatory informational meeting on Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 pm in the OES Great Hall. You'll get a chance to meet our new coaches and to prepare for the upcoming season. For more information, check out the Ski Team page under Athletics at the OES website.

Questions? Contact Parent Rep Lynne Johnston (503) 643-3760.

Sports schedules are available on line. Questions? Call Kris Van Hatcher at (503) 768-3128.

Go Aardvarks!!!

To submit information for the Voice, please email Carlene Traverso in the Upper School office when you have items to include.