Updated September 4, 2009

Four OESians did the Race Across Oregon this summer biking for 48 hours straight through Oregon and back. Lito N. ’10 organized the team, and teachers Colin Day and Ann von Ofenheim handled the sag wagon. From left are Janosz Dewberry ’09, Colin, Lito, Owen Bley-Male ’09, and Jonathan von O. ’10.

News From Jordan Elliott

Dear Upper School Parents,

As the summer winds down and we prepare for another excellent year in the OES Upper School, I wanted to welcome new families to our community and greet returning families by passing on some useful information.  Below you will find introductions of our new faculty, plans for nurturing the partnership between parents and the school, an update on our H1N1 flu preparations, and details on a number of other topics.  As usual, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

I want to start by introducing the new members of the US faculty.  We welcome two new teachers to our Science Department, Dr. Bevin Daglen and Dr. Catherine Molloseau.  Bevin has taught most recently at Pacific University and holds a Ph.D in Chemistry from the University of Oregon.  She will be teaching Conceptual and Honors Chemistry.  Catherine comes to us from Jesuit High School where she taught AP and Honors Physics.  She holds her Ph.D in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and will teach Conceptual and Honors Physics at OES.  Bevin and Catherine have been working with the science faculty throughout the summer and we are fortunate to add their expertise to the department.  Sarah Fromme will join the Language Department to teach along with Xiaoou Wang in the Mandarin program.  Sarah has taught at the Portland Chinese School and Cascade Heights Charter School in Portland and holds degrees from universities in Taiwan, Canada, and the United States.  We are delighted to welcome back Moneeka Settles to teach a section of Humanities.  Moneeka held a variety of teaching and administrative positions at OES during her 12 years here and returns to Portland after four years as the Assistant Head of School at the Bay School in San Francisco.  Finally, though she is not new to OES, I am excited to welcome Liz Harlan-Ferlo to full-time duties in the US.  She will be teaching several religion and philosophy courses, Acting, and serving as one of our US Chaplains.

There will be other faces new to you in the US this year and we invite you to join us to meet them and to learn about your child’s courses at Back-to-School Night on Wednesday, September 30, from 6:30-9:00 p.m.  Please join us!  I also encourage you to add this year’s Homecoming celebration to your calendar for later that same week.  We have exciting events planned for Friday, October 2, including girls’ and boys’ soccer games.

I recently met with this year’s Parent Association Link (PAL) representatives to prepare for the opening of school and plan our partnership for the year.  I am most grateful to Sarah, Eileen, and Will for staying on with their children’s classes and welcome Betsy Leonard as the ninth grade rep.  Throughout the year, parents from each grade level meet on Monday mornings from 8:00-9:30 a.m. to discuss issues pertinent to their child’s class.  A complete schedule of the meetings for parents of your child’s grade is posted online in the US Events section of the OES calendar and I hope that each and every one of you are able to join us monthly or sometime during the year.  Please feel free to contact the representative at your grade level if you have any topics of interest for our monthly meetings.

9th Grade Betsy Leonard

10th Grade Sarah Grewe

11th Grade Eileen Pilkenton

        12th Grade Willemijn Ilcisin

Ninth grade parents, please mark your calendars for our Parent Partnership Morning on Thursday, September 17, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the MS Commons.  I strongly encourage you to join me as I present an overview of the US and introduce faculty and staff members that will play a prominent role in your family’s US life.

Throughout the year, you can anticipate a variety of communications from the Upper School.  In addition to occasional emails, the Upper School Voice will be updated semi-monthly and posted on the OES webpage.  You will also receive periodic e-Gathering emails that summarize the content of thrice-weekly student and teacher Gatherings.  You will also receive information about improvements to our information technology systems and tools for communication.

As with last spring, we are cognizant of the possibility of an H1N1 flu pandemic and have been constructing plans for how the school will respond to a variety of possibilities this fall.  Below you will find a description of our plans.  One important precaution that I want you to hear from me right away is that we will be screening all of our students and faculty before beginning of the year trips.  Following the guidelines published by the Center for Disease Control, any student or teacher with a temperature of 100 degrees or above will not be able to attend opening trips.  We will take student temperatures at meetings and orientations during the first week and on the opening day of school.  Please be aware of the possibility that your child may not be able to attend a trip if they have a fever.  Feel free to contact me or our nurses Elaine Elliott and Catherine Rutledge-Gorman if you have any questions or concerns.

Finally, we have had good success with completing the summer complement of forms online.  As of yesterday, there were eleven families that had not completed the forms.  If you have not completed the forms, you should have received a reminder of your username and password from US Administrative Assistant Pat Freeman.  If you have not completed the forms yet, please visit the summer forms website as soon as possible to complete this process.  Feel free to contact Pat if you have any questions or concerns.

I look forward to a wonderful year and am eager to have students back on campus.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns

,Note from Jon von Behren:

Dear Parents,
I am writing to update you on the plans OES is making in preparation for the H1N1 flu. We are working closely with the Oregon Department of Health and Human Services and the Washington County Health Department, and are carefully monitoring the recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our two priorities are to prevent the spread of the disease and to keep school functioning as usual.

Here are some specific protocols and plans we have established for the coming flu season: The faculty and staff will be asked to closely monitor the health of our students. Students who appear ill will be examined by the nurses, and will be sent home if they have a fever of 100 degrees or more. Employees who have a fever will also be sent home. The school nurses will take the temperatures of all students and adults traveling on Upper and Middle School fall trips within 24 hours of their departure. Anyone having a fever of 100 degrees or more and/or displaying other symptoms of the flu will not be allowed to participate in the trip. We will be particularly vigilant about routine cleaning and increase the frequency of cleaning in high-traffic, “high-touch” areas. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers will be distributed to all classrooms. If incidence of the flu becomes sufficiently widespread to require school closing, we have plans in place for remote learning and teaching, as well as provisions for the continuation of essential business operations.

Next, we need your help! Please do the following: Remind your children about good personal hygiene habits. This includes frequent and thorough hand-washing, covering their coughs with tissues or the arm (rather than the hand), and not sharing personal items like drinks, food, and utensils. Do not send children to school if they are sick. Children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home. Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever (without using fever-reducing drugs) or other flu symptoms. The CDC has an excellent website that you may wish to consult for more detailed information: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.

Finally, we are very aware that how widespread and severe the H1N1 virus might be in the coming year is not known, and we will continue to monitor the situation very closely and adapt our plans as necessary. We will provide updates as necessary as the school year progresses. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me or one of the following people who are on the front line in our H1N1 response planning:
Elaine Elliott, School Nurse, (503) 416-9300, elliotte@oes.edu.
Catherine Rutledge-Gorman, School Nurse, (503) 416-9300, Rutledge-gormanc@oes.edu.
Christina (Tna) Meyerhoff, Director of Safety, (503) 768-3161, meyerhoffc@oes.edu.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

Sept 6: New dorm family dinner, 6:00 pm

Sept 7: New dorm family dinner with Kathy Layendecker, 5:00 pm

Sept 8: New 10, 11, 12 orientation, 11:00 am

Sept 8: 9th grade orientation, 2:00-7:00 pm

Sept 8: 9th grade parents/students dinner, 5:00 pm

Sept 9: First day of school, 8:00 am

Sept 14: US classes begin, 8:00 am

Sept 14: Music Dept. private lesson informational mtg., 7:00 pm

Sept 15: New parent science research meeting, 7:00 pm

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

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 keep in mind, new student orientation is September 8. We welcome everyone, grades 9, 10, 11, 12, to campus at 8:00 am on Wednesday, September 9. You will meet with your class and participate in the All-School Opening, after which you will begin your fall trip. We’d rather you not drive to school on Wednesday, since you will all be going on trips. If it is a necessity, please remember that Seniors may only park in the designated lot next to the practice field unless granted permission to park elsewhere by the Upper School Office. ALL OTHER STUDENTS MUST PARK AT SPARC. Parking stickers MUST be obtained from the US office (your current sticker is valid if you have the same car).

We hope you have already turned in all the forms we require – without them, we cannot send students on upcoming fall trips and they cannot practice for sports.

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.

Throughout the year students have the ability to charge different things to their accounts here on campus. This can include candy sales, pizza sales at lunch, tickets to prom, entrance to a social event or any other fundraiser. Please take the time to talk to your children about charging to their account. If you have questions, or if you do not want your child to be able to charge to his/her account, call Rob Orr (x325) or Katrina Perry (x337) or Janie John in the Business Office at (503) 768-3133.

Monthly bus passes on Tri-Met can be purchased in the US office for $26. Students may charge the bus pass on their account.

Photos taken at last June’s graduation are available on line from: Philip McCarty at www.shutterfly.com/pro/mccartypics/OES2009Seniors.

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.

WELCOME BACK FROM THE GALLERY STORE

The Gallery has TI-89’s for sale, $145, 4Gb Flash drives for $11, and CD’s for 50 cents. Stop in and see what’s new! Do you need service hours – why not work in the Gallery, learn about the retail business, see firsthand all the new spirit wear and fulfill your hours right here on campus. Let Robin Schauffler know if you’re interested.

Dorm News

The energy around the dorms is building as we prepare for the new school year. We’re gearing up to welcome 60 students from around the world. We are excited to be sharing our community with students from Afghanistan, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Rwanda, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, United States and Zimbabwe. We are also excited to welcome three new dorm parents into our community; Colin Day, Cyndy Perlich, and Kara Tambellini. We’re looking forward to a great year. Please consider dropping by the dorms, we are eager to share our community with the broader OES community. Questions? Contact Bonnie Brennan, Director of Residential Admissions, 503-416-9377.

Winterim 2010

Welcome to OES or welcome back. Winterim (March 11 to March 18, 2010) planning began last Spring and continues apace!

We have published part of the catalog on our website. For more information you can access the Winterim website via the OES Homepage. The direct link is: http://www.oes.edu/about/winterim.htm. There is a link to the catalog at the bottom of that page. 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. Because Big Trips compose only about 10% of the Winterim courses, last year’s catalog remains up to give you a flavor.

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.

Science Research Projects

An informational meeting for parents will be held Tuesday, September 15, in the Physics Lab from 7-8 pm. The meeting is not required and is primarily for parents of new science students, but is open to all parents. An overview of the research process will be presented along with the philosophy behind this component of the science curriculum. The research calendar for the school year will be online later this month.. Questions? Contact Rob Orr (orrr@oes.edu)

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 (dpolscer@gordon-polscer.com) or Kim Bissell (kim_bissell@msn.com).

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 or schaufflerr@oes.edu.

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.

Community Diversity Link

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. 

Books and Breakfast Titles for 2009-10

Community Diversity Link has selected four engrossing and easy-to-read paperbacks to feature in this year’s Books and Breakfast programs in which interested parents gather monthly to discuss a featured book related to diversity.  We invite you to read these engrossing stories and stay tuned for the discussion dates.

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.  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.

COUNTING COUP by Larry Colton:

Portland author Larry Colton traveled to the Crow Indian reservation on the banks of the Little Big Horn River in Montana and chronicled a suspenseful, pressure-packed girls’ basketball season through the eyes of gifted athlete Sharon LaForge and her teammates who face the challenges of fierce competition while dealing with alcoholism, broken families and racial conflict.

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

In this highly-praised memoir written before his political ascendance, Barack 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 American president.

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

New York Times Columnist Steve Lopez befriends Nathaniel Ayres, a onetime musical prodigy studying

at Juilliard who now struggles with homelessness and mental illness.  Lopez offers honest reflections and fast-paced stories of his creative attempts to help Nathaniel get off of Skid Row and recover his musical potential.  The newly released movie offers parents another good way to experience this moving and provocative story.

CONTACTS:  Please contact 2009-10 CDL Co-Chairs Susan Phillips (503 292-6609; susan@phillipsrumker.com ) and Anne Nedrow (503 297-3593; nedrowa@ohsu.edu )if you are curious about the work of CDL or wish to share questions, suggestions, and interests regarding book discussions or other diversity programs.

College Counseling

College Visits at OES: Many colleges will visit OES this fall to meet with interested students. We encourage juniors and seniors to keep a close eye on the college visit schedule in Naviance (connection.naviance.com/oes). We will also post the schedule on the College Admissions Bulletin Board in the library. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about a wide variety of colleges (juniors) or specific colleges of interest (seniors). The schedule in Naviance is updated as visits are added and this process continues throughout the fall. Most college visits take place between September and early December. Students are encouraged to sign up for visits on Naviance, as they will automatically be sent a reminder close to the date of the visit.

Opportunities to Visit Colleges: Seniors, keep in mind that you have some opportunities to visit colleges this fall on the October 9 Professional Day and during Octoberim (October 14-16). On Wednesday, the college counselors will offer several workshops related to the search and application process, so if you want to take advantage of those, you should begin your travel on Thursday. On Thursday and Friday, the college counselors will be available to help seniors with their applications and essays.

SAT/ACT Tests: Seniors, please note the following test dates and registration deadlines. Please enter the school code when you register (380915) and if you are taking the ACT, it is best to include the optional writing test. There is a late registration deadline and standby option for each test date that requires an additional fee. See the testing websites for additional information.

Junior College Decisions Retreat: Following our retreat with juniors (the first week of school), we will be in touch with parents of juniors about our activities at the retreat and what we encourage juniors and their parents to be doing and keeping in mind this fall in relation to the college search process.

PSAT: Sophomore and juniors families should note that this year the PSAT will be given the morning of Wednesday, October 14. All sophomores and juniors have been automatically registered and will take the test at OES. We will send details in a later email, and students will receive practice materials at school.

PSAT/SAT PREP CLASS
This six-hour course will teach students the critical reading, math, and writing skills that are needed to perform well on the PSAT and SAT. Students will gain hands-on experience by taking a practice PSAT and will learn effective score-enhancing strategies that are specific to the PSAT. In addition, the psychology of test-taking as well as proven methods for overcoming test anxiety will be covered. Douglas Bloch is 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.

This class is offered from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on October 3 and 10. The cost is $90. To register contact Joan Lowe , 503.768.3145 or Marcy Morris , 503.416.9244.

Music Notes

Welcome back to another exciting year ahead in MUSIC at OES!

The PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR will soon have a current list of 2009-10 music performances and theatre events. It will be updated with field trips and off-campus events as information becomes available. Please check it often!

Details for PRIVATE LESSONS can be found in the Special Programs/After School Class section of the website. If your child wishes to study violin, cello, bass, piano, jazz piano, voice, guitar, trumpet, trombone, oboe, flute, clarinet, saxophone, harp, drumset, percussion, harpsichord or organ, sign up for lessons! Please contact Joan Lowe in the After School office, 503-768-3145. Adults are welcome to sign up too.

PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS INFORMATIONAL EVENING:

On Monday, Sept. 14 at 7pm in the CHAPEL, the Music Dept. is sponsoring a fantastic opportunity for current and prospective music students and their parents to attend a private lesson INFORMATIONAL evening!

Registration for Private Music Lessons is September 9-15, and lessons begin September 18. The following private lesson teachers will be available for questions, talk about their instrument, and give demonstrations.

Derek Sims (trumpet)

Dan Presley (bass)

David Valdez (saxophone)

Lynn Vannier (oboe)

Peter Musselman (french horn)

Shelley Bowers (clarinet)

Mike Horsfall (piano)

Wendy Steele (voice)

John Lamb, (percussion)

We welcome Shelley Bowers, new clarinet instructor to OES!

See her bio on the Private Lessons link: http://www.oes.edu/afterschool/lessons.htm

Check out MUSIC NOTES for BIOS and more UPDATES in the MUSIC DEPT.

INSTRUMENT RENTALS: If you are interested in renting a STRING instrument, please contact Nelly Kovalev, Neil Hollister, or Sue Jensen. If you are interested in renting a BRASS or WOODWIND instrument, contact Derek Sims, Adam Steele, Nancy Teskey, or Sue Jensen.

EQUIPMENT & LIABILITY FORMS: If your child is using a school-owned music instrument which remains on campus (such as piano, guitar, percussion equipment), be sure that they have filled out, signed, and returned the Music Equipment Liability Agreement forms to Sue Jensen by September 30.

LOCKERS: All MS and US instrumental students will be assigned a music locker to store their instrument. If you do not have a locker—please let Derek Sims, Nancy Teskey, Adam Steele, or Sue Jensen know—and we will get your child a locker. Remind your child to store their instrument in their locker and to put a nametag on their instrument case. Instruments found unattended will be picked up for safekeeping. If your child has lost their instrument, please contact your music teacher or Sue Jensen.

Have a fabulous year of music! Sue Jensen, Music Department Chair

Class Notes

Freshman Class
9th Grade PAL meets from 8-9:30 am in the Drinkward Center Volunteer Room.

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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An important reminder to 9th grade parents: On Thursday, September 17, we are asking you to attend our very important 9th Grade Partnership Morning in the MS Commons from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. at which time we will orient you to high school and try to answer all questions you might have about the years you are about to embark on here at OES. We will finish by 11:30 am. Joining us at that event will be a variety of personnel from the Counseling, College Counseling, and Dean’s Offices. We look forward to a wonderful year and seeing each and every one of you. We hope you can attend this important meeting.

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
11th Grade PAL meets from 8-9:30 am in the Drinkward Center Volunteer Room.
Meeting dates are: October 19, November 16, January 19, February 22,

April 19, and May 17. Questions? Contact Eileen Pilkenton, 503/297-8548.

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.

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.