Updated September 17, 2009

Seniors greet Middle School students at the Senior Entrance

News From Jordan Elliott

Dear Upper School Parents,

Welcome and welcome back to the Upper School!  We have had a great beginning to this school year and I’m pleased to report on our progress.

Despite some unexpected excitement on the sophomore trip, reports are that the opening excursions went exceedingly well.  From our strong new group of ninth graders in the Class of 2013 to the “GalaXy” themed Class of 2010, we have a wonderfully strong and engaged student body again this year.  The junior class of 2011 is off and going after their introduction to the college decisions process and the sophomores benefited from good weather on their wilderness adventure.  I look forward to hearing more from you about your children’s experience at our first round of PAL meetings beginning in October.

As of Monday this week, everyone is back on campus and classes are off and going.  The addition of the new technology tools contained in Google Apps for Education have been a real boon for my class and I’ve enjoyed hearing how other teachers in the Upper School are taking advantage of how these tools can support teaching and learning.  Feel free to view the public websites for each teacher at: https://sites.google.com/a/go.oes.edu/ushome/.

In the “Voice” that follows you’ll find announcements from throughout the Upper School.  I want to draw your attention to a couple of key events.

• Please join your children’s teachers for Back To School Night on Wednesday, September 30 at 6:30 (please note the earlier start time from previous years) beginning in the Great Hall.
• Join us later that week for Homecoming on Friday, October 2 for soccer games and other events.

In the upper right corner of this page you will find an updated “Who to Contact” document that I hope will be helpful as you decipher how to navigate the myriad adult contacts in the Upper School.

As you have seen from communications this summer, we are conducting background checks for volunteers and other non-OES employees who work with our students on campus.  If you plan to volunteer, please contact the US office to schedule a time to have a background check.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this process.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

Sept 17: 9th grade partnership meeting, 8:30 am

Sept 21: Winterim Information Night, 7:00 pm

Sept 23: US Picture Day, 8:00 am

Sept 27: Host Family Dessert Night in Dorms, 7:00 pm

Sept 28: Spirit Week (see below)

Sept 30: Back to School Night, 6:30 pm

Oct 2: Homecoming, 8:00 pm, Great Hall

Back-to-School Night is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, at

6:30 pm. During the evening teachers will outline goals for the year and some will involve you in the kind of learning that takes place in their classrooms.

Please remember to call in advance if your child is going to miss school or be late for any reason. Doing so will help us keep your child safe.

Call Carlene Traverso at her direct dial number (503) 768-3169 or email

traversoc@oes.edu.

US pictures will be taken on Wednesday, September 23 beginning at 8:00 a.m. Click here for Lifetouch informational brochure. Order forms will be distributed to students the first week of classes.

(New) Seniors please read article under Senior Class regarding senior pictures for yearbook.

WELCOME BACK FROM THE GALLERY STORE (New)

The Gallery has placed a new order for TI-89 Graphing Calculators (currently out of stock). They should arrive middle of next week. If you are interested in purchasing one, please stop by the Gallery to have one reserved, the price for the TI-89 is $145.

PARENTS OF CURRENT STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES (New)

The Upper School is currently establishing a ‘Learning Center’ with the goal of creating a specific space for students and parents to access academic support.  The space is located off the great hall and will be available for students to work with tutors, peers, and teachers.  As part of the project, I would like to stock the learning center with current textbooks of subjects being offered throughout the Upper School.  Having a library of textbooks would give users of the space immediate access to subject material being offered in all of the classrooms.  It would be enormously beneficial for ESL students, tutors, peer tutors, and advisors to access while providing academic support to students. 

If, while sorting through your daughter’s or son’s old school materials, you would be interested in donating a current textbook to the Learning Center, please feel free to call or email Jim Bunker.  He would be happy to accept any gently used books for reference in the Learning Center. Jim's phone number is 503-416-9356 and email bunkerj@oes.edu.

Spirit Week (starting Monday, September 28)
Monday: Sports jersey day
Tuesday: Twin day
Wednesday: Clash day
Thursday: Harry Potter Hogwarts colors day (Freshman: Hufflepuff; Sophomores: Ravenclaw; Juniors: Slytherin; Seniors: Gryffindor)
Friday: School spirit day (green/white)

Homecoming 2009-2010
October 2nd - OES Girls Soccer vs. Faith Bible & OES Boys Soccer vs. Catlin Gabel
Girls Varity: 4:15 kickoff
Boys JV : 4:15 kickoff
Boys Varsity: 6:30 kickoff

Upper School Homecoming Dance: US Great Hall 8-11:00 PM following soccer games.

US School Homecoming Dance: October 2, 2009 8-11:00 pm
Tickets $6 (can be charged or paid with cash). $1 discount at the door if you bring an EMPTY nalgene or water bottle to drink from during the dance. One guest is permitted per student.
To register a guest send the name and home phone number of your guest in an email Katrina Perry (perryk@oes.edu) by Wednesday Sept. 30 at 3:00 pm.

Dorm News (New)

You are invited to join the boarding program for “Dessert in the Dorms” on Sunday, September 27 from 7–8:00 p.m.

• Enjoy a tour of the dorms while meeting some of our many international and domestic boarding students.
• Discover an opportunity for cultural exchange through the Host Family Program. As a Host Family, the time commitment does not need to be great, but the rewards can be tremendous!
• Learn about the Backyard Exchange program – where Upper School day students can become “dormies” for a short term stay.
• See the newly remodeled bathrooms in the dorms. (generously funded by the family of a dorm student alumni)
• Complete your Volunteer Background check.

If you are unable to attend the event, but would like more information about the dorms, the Host Family Program, and/or the Backyard Exchange Program, please contact Jen Bash , 503-416-9379.

Winterim 2010 (New)

Please continue to check the Winterim website. The direct link is: http://www.oes.edu/about/winterim.htm. Please note that only “Big Trips” are planned and presented. Big Trips are the most expensive and we publish them early so families can plan a little for their expense. Do note that need-based financial aid is available. Because Big Trips compose only about 10% of the Winterim courses, last year’s catalog remains posted until October 29 to give you a flavor. The entire 2010 catalog will be available on October 29.

There are two immediate dates of which you need to be aware:

1) Monday, September 21 at 7:00 pm will be a meeting for any interested or new parents who would like to know more and to ask questions. The meeting will occur in Room 60, off the Great Hall (for 9th grade parents, Room 60 is the Humanities Room). Typically that meeting lasts between 60-90 minutes.

2) Wednesday, October 7: the final date to register for a Big Trip. Any offering with fewer than the minimum number of students will be cancelled and all deposits will be returned in full. Deposits are typically 25% of the total cost. Each trip description includes the cost. Check Big Trip 2009 descriptions at http://www.oes.edu/winterim/index.htm.

More information will be published each month. I look forward to seeing many of you on September 21. Questions? Contact Hope Stevens , Winterim Coordinator.

Calling All Volunteers (New)

Check out the 2009 – 2010 volunteer opportunities on the OES web site. http://www.oes.edu/volunteers Read about the Lower School, Middle School, Upper School and All School Volunteer Opportunities.

To Volunteer On Line:
1. Click on Volunteer Login.
2. Enter User name as oesparent and password as 0910.
3. Click on the first letter of your last name from the list.
4. Find your name and click on it.
5. From the menu on the left, click on Volunteer Signup Sheet.
6. Check boxes for activities for which you want to volunteer.
7. Click on Save Changes to register your choices.
You are finished! Thanks! Remember to log your volunteer hours.
Questions?  Contact Volunteer Coordinators
Lower School - Michele Ackerman
Middle School - Kim Jensen
All School/Upper School – Cindy Plummer

News and Notes from the Library (New)

• Summer Reading Challenge forms due tomorrow

Students, faculty or staff members, and parents who have completed the OES Summer Reading Challenge and who would like to share their reading list with the Upper School community and/or earn a custom-designed OES Summer Reading T-shirt, must turn in their reading lists to Chris Myers in the Upper School Library by 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18. Blank forms are available on the US Library homepage, at http://www.oes.edu/Libraries/us-library.htm , but the lists may be submitted in whatever form the reader chooses (notebook paper, Excel spreadsheet, etc.). Remember: The challenge was to read at least 2,009 pages, or 10 titles new to you, or for 30 hours cumulatively.

• Virtual author visit by Cory Doctorow Sept. 23

The British author Cory Doctorow, a noted blogger and author of the young-adult novel Little Brother, will visit OES via webcast at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23. Students who are interested in attending this event, which will take place in the Middle School Library, should talk to Chris Myers, Upper School Librarian, by the end of the school day Tuesday, Sept. 22.

• Summer Reading discussions scheduled for Sept. 24

The Upper School’s summer-reading discussions (in which students meet to discuss the book they chose as their required reading for the summer) will take place at 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 24. If you’re interested in seeing what was on the list, please visit the Upper School Library homepage, at http://www.oes.edu/Libraries/us-library.htm

• Subscription databases available from library homepage

The OES libraries subscribe to an excellent collection of online databases, and we encourage students and parents to use these databases to meet their information-seeking needs. Users can connect directly to the databases from the Upper School Library homepage, at http://www.oes.edu/Libraries/us-library.htm, when on campus, but must enter user names and passwords when off-campus. The complete list of passwords is available in hard copy in the library and electronically at the Upper School Library page on Google Docs. Remember: To use the OES subscriptions to these databases, you must enter the databases through the OES library homepages.

College Counseling (New)

College Night for Parents of Seniors—Monday, October 5 from 7:00-8:30pm: The college counselors will cover an array of important topics: finalizing the list of colleges, deadlines, recommendations, testing, applications, essays, interviews, etc. We will provide you with information about some of the key details of this process, ideas about how best to support your son or daughter through this process, and reassurance (lots of it). We encourage all parents to attend. A packet of information will be sent to families unable to attend. Location: The Great Hall.

PSAT for Sophomores and Juniors: We will be giving the PSAT to students in 10th and 11th grade on Wednesday, October 14 (at OES). Students do not need to pre-register for this test. The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT, one of the tests utilized by colleges in the admissions process. Keep in mind that while students should put forth their best effort for this test, it is a practice test. These scores will not be sent to colleges. Students will receive a copy of a Student Guide to the PSAT on September 18 in their English class. This guide contains information on the test and practice materials. We encourage students to familiarize themselves with the test ahead of time. The results of this test will be mailed home in December with a letter that provides context for interpreting these scores and with some information about college admission testing in general. 

FOESL Meeting– September 23, 2009 at 8:00 a.m.

Friends of OES Library (FOESL) hopes everyone had a fabulous summer! We are looking forward to having our first meeting on Wednesday, September 23 at 8:00 a.m. Please come join FOESL in the Drinkward Volunteer Room 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 8-9:30 a.m. If you have any questions, please contact the FOESL Co-Chairs: Diane Polscer or Kim Bissell .

Service Learning

September is a great time for students to get going on service learning hours. Students should be reminded to check their email regularly for announcements about dozens of opportunities to serve, on and off campus. They can also check the bulletin board outside the Service Learning Office, conveniently located in the Great Hall. Parents are invited to suggest great service ideas. If your neighborhood, club, church, or other organization has a service project, maybe OES students can get involved! For information on requirements and opportunities, or to suggest a project, call or email Robin Schauffler , US Service Learning Coordinator at (503) 416-9308. And, please remind your son or daughter to turn in those Service Learning forms from any service hours completed over the summer. New 9th graders may use any work they did over the summer as part of their Service Learning requirment.

Music Department (New)

REGISTRATION FOR PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS IS THIS WEEK!

LESSONS BEGIN THIS Friday -SEPT.  18

Here's the link to info on Private Music Lessons:

http://www.oes.edu/afterschool/lessons.htm

Here's the link to info on HOW TO SIGN up for PRIVATE Music Lessons:

http://www.oes.edu/afterschool/index.htm

We have some really great teachers coming to campus to teach music lessons after school!

LESSONS OFFERED:

We offer lessons in voice, harp, organ, piano, jazz piano, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone, violin, cello, bass, viola, flute, percussion, drumset, guitar.

HOW TO REGISTER:

You register for lessons with Marcy Morris ext.244 ( 503-416-9244)  or Joan Lowe or x145 (503-768-3145)

US STUDENTS:

You can also take lessons during a free period or Activity period - if it works with the teacher's schedule.

FOR MORE INFO:

Check out the link for teacher bios and more information:

http://www.oes.edu/afterschool/lessons.htm

Sue Jensen, Music Dept. Chair PreK-12, Visual Arts Faculty, Oregon Episcopal School, 503-416-9360

CDL Kick Off Meeting:  Thursday, Oct. 15, 8-9:30am, DC Volunteer Rm

All interested parents are invited to participate in the meetings and activities of the Community Diversity Link (formerly known as the Parent Diversity Committee).  CDL is a collaborative, action-oriented school committee dedicated to raising awareness within the parent body regarding diversity in our global, local, and school communities.  CDL sponsors book discussions, speakers, and special projects.  New perspectives, ideas, and volunteer help are most welcome.  Please join us for our kick off planning meeting whether you are interested in helping out or just learning more about the work of CDL.  Please contact Co-Chairs Susan Phillips (503 292-6609) and Anne Nedrow (503 297-3593) with your questions, suggestions and interests.

Books and Breakfast:  Thursday, Oct 22, 8:00-9:30am, OES Dining Hall

STUBBORN TWIG by Lauren Kessler

Life for the Yasui family in Oregon is painfully disrupted at the start of World War II when anti-Japanese sentiments lead to imprisonment, internment and displacement. Please join us to hear author Lauren Kessler share her experiences and perspectives on writing this remarkable and carefully researched book.  Selected by the Oregon Library Association for the “Oregon Reads 2009” community reading program celebrating our state’s sesquicentennial, Stubborn Twig tells the true story of how racism affects the emotions and choices of family members over three generations. Lauren Kessler is a well-published author, national speaker and director of the graduate program in literary journalism at the University of Oregon.

Upcoming Books and Breakfast Titles:

COUNTING COUP by Larry Colton

THE SOLOIST: A LOST DREAM, AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP, AND THE REDEMPTIVE POWER OF MUSIC by Steve Lopez

DREAMS FROM MY FATHER: A STORY OF RACE AND INHERITANCE by Barack Obama

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: October 5, November 2, January 4, February 1, April 5, and May 3. Questions? Contact Betsy Leonard, 503/954-1133.

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

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Junior Class

Welcome back!  Our first 11th Grade PAL meeting of the year is 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.

Next month, 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 about this book selection and consider joining the 'Books and Beverages' group in the Dining Hall at 8:00 am on October 22 for discussion and to hear from the author.

Senior Class

12th Grade PAL meets from 8-9:30 am in the Drinkward Center Volunteer Room. Meeting dates are on Mondays: October 26, 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 (lewisd@oes.edu) is the easiest way, otherwise we will scan the photo and return it to the student.

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

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 in the Upper School office when you have items to include.