Principal Notes Nov. 18

Dear Community,
I want to make sure your children's lunch needs will be taken care of this Monday. As a reminder, this Monday, Nov. 21st, there will be no a.m. Kindergarten classes; all the rest of the students will be dismissed at 11:15. Students should be arriving home on buses 3 hours earlier than their usual times. So, we’ll see students this Monday morning, and then back again on Monday, Nov. 28th.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is my favorite National Holiday. The best part of that holiday for me is the simple one of giving thanks for all the “riches” I receive each day. Seeing students and their families come to school each morning starts my days happily. I am thankful for a professional, energetic, hard-working staff; as I walk down the hall and go into the rooms, I see excited, happy children learning because of them. I thank all the parents who are generous with their time here at school and in other places, and who love of children. The children themselves give us all the gift (and good example) of their open, magical way of looking at the world. There are always too many people to thank individually, so I want to tell you all that I feel truly blessed to be here, and want to wish you a wonderful holiday.

A LETTER FROM OUR CARNIVAL COORDINATOR:

Dear Maplewood Community, I want to THANK YOU for your support of Carnival ’05. It was once again both successful and fun, and it couldn’t have been done without your help. We grossed $4438.85 and will net around $3000. That’s AWESOME!

Thank you for your:
· Candy donations – plenty to even contribute to class Halloween parties
· Stuffed Animal donations – great prizes. Save again for next year!
· Raffle donations – Grand Prize printer donated by Jim Battan
· Canopy donations – many parents
· Prize Chair – Janet Metz and her committee
· Food Chair – Tom Sikora and his committee
· Signage Chair – Cindy Collins-Taylor and her committee (Teri Carlson)
· Treasurer – Amy McClusky
· Many supportive parents that participated in preparation Thursday/Friday
· 5th Grade parent helpers – you know who you are – what will I do next year without you?
· Teachers & Staff for their devotion and time
· Alumni students – please thank them for me!

Also thank you to:
· New Seasons for the hot dog donation
· Lamb’s Thriftway for baking 100 cakes
· Purato’s Bakery Supply for supplying enough ingredients and boxes to make 100 cakes
· Western Pet Supply for a great deal on 100 goldfish
· And NW Natural for lending us their canopies

Special thanks to:
· Smith School for gifting us their JAIL – a big hit by all!

It’s always a lot of blood, sweat, and cheers! But always worth it.

and to the Maplewood Teachers & Staff,
I want to THANK YOU for your support of Carnival ’05. It was once again both successful and fun, and it couldn’t have been done without your help. We grossed $4,438.85 and will net around $3,000. That’s AWESOME!

Thank you for your:
Time facilitating posters
Time collecting candy and stuffed animals
Time talking about the Carnival
Time listening about the Carnival
Time contributing your energy into the Carnival by working a booth, selling tickets, juggling, and supporting Carnival '05
Time seems to be a common theme here - but always worth it on the student’s faces!
Thank you, Suzanne Smith,Carnival '05 Chair

DO YOU EVER DROP OFF YOUR CHILD AT SCHOOL? - I need to thank all of you who drop them off in the pull-out area safely. I am concerned that there are many attempts to change the traffic pattern. The safest way for our students is for you to come northbound on 52nd, pull out by the backstop, and then continue northbound by turning right. Even if it means driving around the block, it will keep the roadway and drop-off area much safer for the children; trying to make a “u-turn” or cross lanes to get into it often creates a bottle-neck.
(Patience is April’s Lifeskill theme, and the patience shown by drivers is a wonderful example to the kids). Luckily we haven’t had the horn-blowing or road rage shown by drivers in Lake Oswego school area, as mentioned on the news last week!

WISH LIST – There are many items/services we are always needing, but two that come to my mind today are:

• Carpet and Installation for 108 – We have had some donations in the past for carpeting and the installation of the carpet for rooms, especially for younger children who sit on the carpet most often. The first graders in Ms. Hawes room could use a new one, that would total about an 8’x12’ area. Maybe some of you still have contacts in the construction business that could donate this for us? There are specifications on the carpet that must be met; contact Mr. Blanck if you have an idea or source!
• Pruning Help – The narrow area on the outside wall of the south side of the gym has several bamboo plants and pine tree branches that brush up against the building, and that also help box elder bugs find a way into the warmth of the building. Would someone help us out by cutting those back? Contact Mr. Blanck for more specifics!

Upcoming Events:
Nov 21 - ½ Day – Students dismissed at 11:15 a.m.
Nov 21 - NO ½ Day Kindergarten – Parent Teacher Conferences
Nov 22 - Parent Teacher Conferences – NO SCHOOL
Nov 23 - Parent Teacher Conferences – NO SCHOOL
Nov 24 - Thanksgiving Holiday – NO SCHOOL
Nov 25 - Down Day – NO SCHOOL
Nov 29 - Cookie Dough Fundraiser End
Nov 30 - TAG Nomination Deadline
Dec 1 - 1st Trimester Grading Period Ends
Dec 2 - Teacher Planning Day – NO SCHOOL (although the rest of the schools in the Wilson Cluster will be open)

Best Regards, and Happy Thanksgiving, John

Principal Notes Nov. 9, 2005

NO SCHOOL THURSDAY AND FRIDAY – A reminder that children do not attend school anywhere in the District on these two days coming. We’ll see you Monday! To make sure you are prepared for another important date: on Friday, December 2^nd, for Maplewood and other Trimester schools only, there will be NO SCHOOL as well. All the other schools in the Wilson Cluster will be open, but not Maplewood. We, like about one third of the schools in the District, are on a Trimester system, not a quarterly system.

PICTURE RE-TAKE ON MONDAY, NOV. 14^TH – Our Picture re-takes will happen from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. that day. So if your child was absent on Picture Day, or needs portrait retaken, or just wants to order an additional package, please have them pick up a flyer at school for more information. The original package must be returned for a retake.

BUYING LUNCHES – The District Nutrition Services office wrote all schools, saying: “Since September, all elementary students have been receiving complete meals even if they do not have money on their account or an approved meal application. As of November 4^th, the amount owed by families is over $12,500 so Nutrition Services will be mailing letters home to 385 students owing more than $10.00. This letter will provide families with 10 days notice that their child will be served a partial meal if the account is not paid.”

Maplewood always makes sure that no student goes without a lunch, but we really encourage you to keep current with the lunch fees. The School Lunch Calendar/Menu has "tips for keeping track of your child's meal account" which reminds families to pay for meals in advance. Sending $35.00 pays for 20 lunches or $8.00 pays for 20 lunches if students are eligible for reduced price meals.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE – The most recent Update from our Annual Campaign is that we have had donations/pledges from 43 of our families totaling $10,255, and need $29,745 to reach our goal. Their tip of the week: “Ask your employer to match your contribution.” Last year we received a great deal of funding this way!

GOOD NEWS FOR MR. KAPLAN! – Mr. Kaplan, one of our 5^th grade teachers, is celebrating the birth of twins in his family! His wife, Penny, gave birth to twin boys on Nov. 2^nd. The boys are doing fine, and they will all hopefully be back joining their daughter very soon!

EMAIL AND MESSAGES – As a reminder to you on best ways to use email, please know that any timely or important messages need to be given to us by phone or note; at times, people have sent emails, thinking they would be read immediately. But the reality is that emails are not constantly monitored, and there are times when the computer or the email provider for PPS might be “down”. So to be safe, make sure you get the message to us some other way. Also, please know that the afternoon can be very hectic, with last minute changes in plans for students, so please try to make the transportation or evening plans for the students made ahead of time.

FOX CHANNEL 12 – Good Day Oregon filmed some of our students (Mrs. Schaeffer’s class, and the 4^th and 5^th grade choir) wishing people a “Good Day!” recently. They notified me that “On Wednesday, November 16^th and Wednesday, November 30^th, the children will appear along with the rest of his/her class on one of the two days in a recorded “Good Day Oregon” spot on our four hour news morning program, 5-9 a.m.! The first class that was video-taped th day our photographer was there (Mrs. Schaeffer’s class) will be featured on the first date (Nov. 16), and the second class (choir?) will be featured on the second date (Nov. 30^th).The spots will air at 6:14 a.m. and 7:52 a.m., so we hope that you can tune in, or perhaps record the spots for viewing later. You can set your VCR’s!

CONFERENCES COMING SOON – The only time that students will be attending school during the whole Conference week (Nov. 21 – 25^th) is on Monday morning, Nov. 21^st. We will provide lunches for students that day, unless you want them to wait and eat lunch when they get home or to daycare.

TEACHERS ACTIVE DURING NIKE PE2GO TRAINING LAST WEEK – Almost all of our teachers have now had at least one full day of PE training provided by our Nike PE2Go grant. They were active, and excited, about looking at new ways to keep our kids happy and active in their physical development. They reported that the days of training have been very valuable!

SITE COUNCIL FORMED! – Our Site Council announces that two parents were nominated for the two openings on our Site Council; David Garnand and Simone Frank are joining parent Matt Pigg on this council (which meets monthly with John and staff Sharon Gray, Renay Schaeffer, Karen Scherlie, Amanda Smith, and Donna Cynkar).

WEEDING PARTY – The Maplewood Garden Committee is having a weeding party on Thursday, November 17 from 12-2 pm. We will be weeding around the classroom boxes, Wildwood and the berm. Come for all or some of the time, but please come! Rain or shine, and bring your favorite weeding tool.

INCLEMENT WEATHER INFORMATION – The season is upon us: It's time to gear up for storms that could disrupt school schedules, bus schedules, etc. In the event of hazardous weather or other emergencies, many radio and television stations carry school closure and schedule change information. If you have access to a computer, it will also be available through the PPS website and Portland Info Net: http://pdxinfo.net/ This website is the one used by the media, and is updated very frequently. I encourage you to bookmark this webpage!

LETTER TO US FROM A NEIGHBOR –

Hi John,

I know there are a lot more parents driving their kids to school this year. I think that everyone may need a reminder to drive slowly and carefully and Courteously down all the neighborhood streets, not just the one in front of the school. I have had a few problems just trying to get out of my own driveway. I have started backing in, so I can pull out in the morning. I was also challenged to a game of chicken when all I was trying to do was make sure that the children walking on my side of the road had plenty of room, it was obvious that there was only room for one car to pass at a time. I also asked a parent before they parked in front of my house if they could pull into the spot next door as I was trying to do a car shuffle, I was told that it is a city street and they can park where ever they @@##% feel like... Must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. I just parked in my neighbor’s driveway and did my thing. Needless to say, that parent still parks on my street, but won't look at me.

I am pleased to see more and more people walking in the morning and I enjoy getting to chat with the families. I am both a pedestrian, and a driver, and take driving through the neighborhood at a reasonably slow speed very seriously. Could you perhaps put something in the newsletter, just mentioning how important it is for parents to model courteous behavior and to keep their speed down? – A Neighbor

I appreciated this message from a neighbor (who volunteers at our school even though she does not have children here), as I really want to help make sure that we keep kids safe, and that we model for our children some of the Lifeskills we are teaching here this year (which include Cooperation, Patience, and Responsibility). I stand outside every morning, and know that there are many parents who patiently wait, follow traffic rules, etc. and appreciate it!

Best Regards, John

A Letter from our Character Education Specialist:

Dear Maplewood Families,

Our next Lifeskill is one that is constantly in demand both inside and outside of family life. We will focus on being accountable for words, actions, and deeds. We’ll examine which skills develop a greater sense of

Responsibility

Every day, in many ways, we expect children to be responsible for chores, schoolwork, manners, and attitudes. Responsibility is a true Lifeskill, one that strengthens family relationships, reinforces employment capabilities, and empowers friendships. Some of the classroom experiences that encourage accountability include:

• Learning to take charge of their own learning projects, e.g., gathering needed materials, seeking resources, raising relevant questions
• Making good choices about use of time
• Taking leadership roles
• Returning library books by the due date
• Speaking up when others have been treated unfairly or received a put-down
• Acknowledging one’s actions and words

Some examples of a child using the Lifeskill of Responsibility at home include:

• Waking and getting up when the alarm clock rings
• Choosing clothes suitable for the occasion and dressing with little or no assistance
• Packing his/her own book bag
• Arriving at school on time
• Doing chores in a timely fashion
• Learning to manage money

Sometimes children’s attempts to be responsible fail, but that doesn’t mean that we should give up. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

Sincerely,

Jenny Pitts, Character Education Specialist

Some Upcoming Events:

Nov 10 - Teacher Planning Day – NO SCHOOL

Nov 11 - Veterans’ Day – NO SCHOOL

Nov 14 - Picture Re-take Day @ 8:00 a.m.

Nov 17 - PTA Meeting

Nov 18 - Author for 4^th/5^th Grades – Heather Frederick

Nov 21 - ½ Day – Students dismissed at 11:15 a.m.

Nov 21 - ½ Day PM – Parent Teacher Conferences

Nov 22 - Parent Teacher Conferences – NO SCHOOL

Nov 23 - Parent Teacher Conferences – NO SCHOOL

Nov 24 - Thanksgiving Holiday – NO SCHOOL

Nov 25 - Down Day – NO SCHOOL