REMINDER - SCHOOL IN SESSION FOR MAPLEWOOD, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3^RD!

SEE’S CANDY BAR SALE – 4^th Grade Fundraiser will start on Wednesday, February 1^st and continue through Thursday, February 16^th!! The bars will be sold for $1.50 each. The bars will be sold daily from 7:45 – 8:00 a.m. in front of the school. All money will go to help reduce the 4^th grade overnight fieldtrip cost. Thank you, Ms. Jones, 4^th grade teacher.

MATH NIGHT!! – Tuesday, February 7th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Come see presentations from students and teachers on Math instruction. (See flyer on back of hard copy that was sent home with students, or information on previous posts)

MAPLEWOOD COFFEE - Reminder that Maplewood Coffee is now available for delivery to you on a monthly basis, at a reduced cost. Fresh roasted coffee from the Portland Roasting Company is only $9 a pound with a standing monthly order, and over 40% of that goes directly to the school! We have Dark Roast, Light Roast, Organic Sumatran, or Swiss Water Process Decaffeinated available in either whole bean or ground. Order forms are available in the office, or you may place an order by email at maplewoodcoffee@yahoo.com or by calling Michele Zwartjes at 245-1871. Payment is due the last Friday of each month (January 27th this month), and coffee orders of less than 4 pounds will come home with your child on the first Friday of the following month (February 3 for the next order). Provide us with an email address and we will send you a friendly reminder before your next order. Single bags of coffee are also available for purchase at $10 a pound (whole bean only) in the office and also at Thinker Toys, Fat City Cafe, and Annie Bloom's Books. You're paying this much for good coffee anyway -- why not buy Maplewood Coffee and support your school at the same time? Thank you for your support! Michele Zwartjes

Upcoming Events:

Jan 30 - All School Assembly “Pam Flowers” @ 1:00 pm

Feb 7 - Math Night – 5:50 – 8:00 pm

Feb 9 - PTA Meeting @ 6:15 pm

Feb 20 - Presidents’ Day – NO SCHOOL

Feb 21 - Professional Development Day – NO SCHOOL

Feb 22 - Professional Development Day – NO SCHOOL

Principal Notes Jan. 20, 2006

My Absence from School for 2 Weeks - As I announced just yesterday at the PTA meeting, I will be need to be out of state for the next two weeks, with a substitute Principal in my place. My daughter was hospitalized last week for problems with the baby she was expecting in April; she was going to be on complete bedrest for quite awhile, but 3 days ago had an emergency C-section and gave birth to a beautiful boy! The good news is that even though he was very premature, and weighed only 2 lbs., 4 oz., Calvin appears to be very healthy for his stage of life! (Whew!). But my daughter’s family will need me to help for awhile, as Calvin will be in the NICU in the Miami hospital for up to 12 weeks. I am very happy that the staff has been so supportive here in assuring me they can keep this school running smoothly, but am also grateful that I will have Michaelene Wilcox here in my place. She just recently retired as a Principal from Markham, and prior to that was Principal at Sunnyside and before that was a Supervisor in the ESL program. Feel free to contact Michaelene here if you have any questions or concerns – she is highly experienced, energetic, and a wonderfully positive person! Thank you for your patience with me, as I have been pretty occupied with this process the last two weeks!

Attention! Reminder! Maplewood's Read-Aloud-Athon, Friday, January 27th - Maplewood's Annual Read-Aloud-Athon will be held next Friday morning, January 27th, at 9 a.m. Students will read for 15 minutes and volunteers will tally the number of pages each student read and record the number on the pledge sheet. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR STUDENT BRINGS THEIR PLEDGE SHEET TO SCHOOL NEXT FRIDAY, JANUARY 27TH. If you have misplaced your pledge sheet, there are extra forms in the Maplewood office, or just write the name of your sponsor(s) and the pledge amounts on a piece of paper and have your student bring it to school on Friday, January 27th. Remember, the money we raise will be used to benefit Maplewood directly. Thank you for your support.

After School Art Classes in February – My Masterpiece Studio, an after school, arts enrichment program with courses devoted to the importance of expression through exploration with different art mediums is here. Expect the unexpected when students create with mixed media! Students learn techniques using paint, clay, pastel collage and more. “Animals in Art” is on Wednesdays in February. There are only a few spaces left for this four week session, so register now while space is available at mymasterpiecestudio@comcast.net

Wilson Area Arts Council Book Drive - The Wilson Area Arts Council (WAAC) is sponsoring an art book drive. We are seeking new or used books, posters, calendars and supplies related to art, i.e. specialty books on art history and art movements, art techniques, famous artists, and posters and calendars reproducing the works of great artists. We would also appreciate any of your home or business’s surplus supplies (e.g. paper) that could be used in classrooms for art projects. Our goal is to build up our new Art Resource Center. This room, when completed, will be available to anyone who is involved in the teaching or some other manner of support for the visual arts in the schools in our cluster. We are interested in any media piece in this wide range of interest. Please donate your item even if you are unsure of its usefulness to us. Should you have any questions, please contact Rosanne Keller, 503.984.3208 or rmkellerinpdx@hotmail.com A box labeled “WAAC Book Drive” will be located in the school office until March 17th. Donation slips will be attached to the box. Donation receipts are available upon request. Thank you for your generosity! The Wilson Area Arts Council is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving, encouraging and enhancing arts education in the Wilson Cluster K-12 schools.

A funding update from Bobbie Regan and David Wynde, School Board Co-Chairs:
When the three-year county income tax expires in June, Portland Public Schools and our neighboring school districts will face a significant loss in their budgets. For PPS, we're faced with $57 million in budget cuts in 2006-07: $50 million lost from the income tax and $7 million of cuts that we deferred last year.
Those new reductions would come on top of cuts made last year, when the local option property tax expired and state desegregation funding ended. Those $25 million in cuts included the elimination of 245 teaching positions and significant reductions to central staff supporting students in our classrooms.
Over the last few weeks, parents, school district leaders, community representatives and local government leaders have been meeting, and a plan to address our school funding crisis is emerging. Although the final details are not decided, this is the outline of the proposal under discussion:
* A funding measure on the May 2006 ballot would support stable and adequate school funding for students across the city. * The City of Portland has stepped up to help (thank you, Mayor Potter!), after the Legislature failed to provide adequate funding, the regional tax discussion faltered, and the County Commission ruled out the possibility of a funding solution for all students in the county.
* All funds raised through a local funding measure would pay for teaching positions and other direct support to schools; none of the money would be used on central office administration. For PPS, the funding levels under discussion would prevent further cuts to school staff, and might even restore some teaching jobs cut last year.
* Five Portland school districts would benefit: Centennial, David Douglas, Parkrose, Reynolds and Portland Public Schools. Each is losing 12 to 18 percent of their operating General Fund as the county income tax expires.
* The new funding proposal will be a Portland city income tax targeted only to schools, would cost less than the expiring county tax, and would include stringent accountability requirements. The business community would share responsibility for maintaining Portland's strong public schools.
* The funding proposal would ensure our most important promise: To provide Portland's children with the quality education they deserve. At this point, the Portland City Council is expected to vote to refer a measure to city voters as soon as February 1.
You may also learn more about this effort by contacting HOPE, at Doug@hope4schools.org We will keep you posted as this evolves and look forward to working with you to ensure a great school district 100% focused on raising student achievement!

Bobbie Regan and David Wynde
School Board Co-Chairs

Upcoming Events:
Jan 27 - Read Aloud-A-Thon
Jan 30 - All School Assembly “Pam Flowers” @ 1:00 pm
Feb 7 - Math Night – 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Feb 9 - PTA Meeting @ 6:15 pm
Feb 20 - Presidents’ Day – NO SCHOOL
Feb 21 - Professional Development Day – NO SCHOOL
Feb 22 - Professional Development Day – NO SCHOOL

Principal Notes 01-06-06

Full Day Kindergarten Sign-Up Begins January 13th - If you know that Full Day is the option you desire for your child for next fall, we will begin taking names on our sign-up list on Friday morning, January 13th, which is the day following the Schools Celebration. This is for people who are committing to coming to school here for Kindergarten in the fall. You can come to the parent meeting (see next item below) to hear information on Jan. 19th first, if you like, before signing up your child for our list.

Parents! - Kindergarten Information Meeting - January 19, 2006 at 3:00 here! - This “adults-only” meeting is to give you information on our Half-Day and our Full-Day Kindergarten options for next fall. There will be presentations from our two teachers, and a chance to ask questions, or to register for the fall. If you know of other people interested in coming to Maplewood’s kindergarten, be sure to tell them to attend that day. Later in the spring, we will host an Open House to give the students a chance to come and see their class, meet future classmates, and meet their teachers.

Another Way to Get to Know Your Schools - The Portland Schools Celebration will be held this Thursday, January 12th at the Oregon Convention Center from 5:30 - 8:30 pm. Every school and program in PPS (including Maplewood) will be there so that you can meet some representatives from the schools and ask them questions. Middle Schools and High Schools will also be there, so if you are thinking of looking at some secondary options, it is an easy way to see it. You can read more about this program at their website at http://159.191.14.139/.docs/pg/10567 or by calling 916-3304.

School Transfer Timelines – PPS will only accept School Choice Transfer applications this year between Feb. 1st and March 24th (for Middle Schools and Elementary); it is between Feb. 1st and Feb. 17th(for High School)

Wheels on Shoes Not Allowed in School - A reminder to you that if students have the type of shoes with built-in wheels, they are not allowed to have the wheels exposed while on school grounds, on the buses, or at bus stops for obvious safety reasons.

Scrip Program Meeting - This Tuesday night, Jan. 10th, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the library, we'll have a meeting for people interested in helping expand/support the Scrip program. Several parents have realized that this is a "no cost" way to raise money for school (as people buy certificates that they use at many stores and get full dollar-for-dollar value, and the school is paid a percentage by the Scrip program). This program has been run by a very small number of parents, and we would like to discuss how the program could be expanded if we could have other people add their assistance. If you would like to participate, come that night, or notify me of your interest!


January Character Education Program Update

Student Council: Prior to the winter break and during the next week, Maplewood has been selecting a new Student Council. The purpose of the council is to plan and organize service-learning projects and discuss school climate issues. 3rd through 5th grade classes will select one or two representatives. The method of selecting a representative will vary from class to class; some classes are having students vote for the individuals who show leadership and listening skills, are creative and organized, and will best represent their class. The council will meet every Wednesday from 11:30 to 12:15 pm starting January 11th and ending in June. On these days, council members will eat their lunch not in the cafeteria, but in the Student Council meeting space. The students who are interested in participating need parent support. Your child may have already talked to you about this and brought the permission slip home. As a part of the Character Education grant, I will be facilitating these weekly meetings and assisting the council with their goals and activities.

Lifeskills: To date we have focused on four Lifeskills: Friendship, Cooperation, Responsibility, and Caring. This month we are talking about the Lifeskill Integrity. In my discussion with students, we have observed that many of the attributes of individual Lifeskills relate to another Lifeskill as well. They are learning that the Lifeskills are intertwined and do not stand alone. Often you can see students showing many Lifeskills in just one act. It has been fun for me to see how much the students at Maplewood already know and use these skills!

Friendship Groups: I will be facilitating two small groups starting the end of January. The goal of these groups is to support and promote strong communication and friendship skills. Students will meet weekly to participate in informal discussions and activities. The activities we have planned promote positive personal growth. The groups will meet 1x per week, 30 minutes each session, for 8 weeks. Space is limited. If you are interested in having your child in one of these groups, please contact me at the number below.

Parent Resource Library: Thank you for all of your book suggestions! We have already placed the order and the books should be arriving soon. More on this in future updates!

If you have any questions, please contact me at (503) 916-6308.

Jenny Pitts, Character Education Specialist



Reminder on some unusual days coming up:
Monday, January 16 - NO SCHOOL (for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
Friday February 3rd – Maplewood Students DO attend school, but the students in the rest of Wilson Cluster do not go to school that day.

Upcoming Events:
Jan 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – NO SCHOOL
Jan 12 - Schools Celebration 5:30 – 8:00 pm Convention Ctr.
Jan 19 - Kindergarten Info Session 3:00 to 4:00 pm here
Jan 27 - Read Aloud-A-Thon

December 16 Principal Notes

Kindergarten Information - Yes, it is that time of year to think about Kindergarten Options for children for next fall. One way to get great information is through the new district website on Early Education at www.earlyed.pps.k12.or.us Spread the word to friends and local day care and pre-schools that there are some events coming:

• School Celebration – Thursday, January 12^th from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Convention Center. We will have a booth at that center, and you can meet us and ask questions about our school and program.
• Maplewood Kindergarten Information Session – This session is for adults, scheduled for Thursday, January 19^th from 3:00 to 4:00 at Maplewood. You will hear the teachers and I give information on our curriculum, on how to register, and about our half-day and full-day options for next fall.

All Day Kindergarten Sign-Up Begins January 13th - In looking ahead at decisions and deadlines, begin spreading the word to parents that the sign-up for Maplewood's All Day Kindergarten for the fall of 2005 will start the day after the School Celebration (see above). Sign-up will be on a first-come, first-served basis. You will be able to get information on our program at the School Celebration at the Memorial Coliseum on the evening of January 12th, and also at Maplewood's Kindergarten Information Meeting here at Maplewood on January 19th at 3:00. The tuition for this fee-for-service program will be $2,187 per year, unless you qualify for tuition waivers (if you qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch – we have applications). We will not accept any sign-ups before January 13th! This day (January 13^th) will be the first day that applications for school transfer will be allowed by the district.

Maplewood Choir on the Radio – We were recorded, and will be broadcast on December 24 at 4 p.m. by KBPS (on the dial at 1450 am).

Maplewood Flag – Please remember that if you are traveling abroad this Winter Break, you might want to take the Maplewood Flag with you to take a picture of it! So far I have pictures from Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia, and Honduras. Anyone interested just needs to leave me a note in my mailbox or email me at my PPS address: asmith3@pps.k12.or.us Amanda

Lifeskill of “Integrity” is theme for January – This next LIFESKILL is perhaps the most important of all. Most of us, at sometime in our lives, have had to deal with the pain and destruction that takes place when people around us lack integrity. We have also enjoyed the company of people with high integrity. Over the years we have collected pictures of the qualities we would like our children to have. We define the LIFESKILL of Integrity as: “To act according to a sense of what’s right and wrong”. To support students’ development of the LIFESKILL, we will: Role play situations that require integrity and discuss possible choices; Continue to focus on problem-solving strategies; Brainstorm the attributes of people with integrity; Find and examine examples of integrity in our community As parents raising young children in an ever more complex world, there are things you can do to support character development at home. Here are a few ideas: Read and share favorite family stories that explore what’s right and wrong; Insist that your child return borrowed items to their original owner; Teach your child to make promises only when he/she can carry them out. Teach your child to walk away from peer group pressures to do negative things. Given what our children will experience in the course of their lives, much rides on their knowing right from wrong and having the courage to do what’s right. We, as educators, are here to support you in your quest to raise a respectful, caring, and trustworthy child, a person of integrity.

Traffic Safety – Traffic Drop-Off Changes – Starting in January, I will begin directing traffic at the morning drop-off time in a slightly different manner. We will begin directing cars to make no “U-Turns at the drop-off area. Specifically, we’ll designate the turn-out to be the drop-off area for northbound (school side of the street) traffic, and ask southbound traffic to drop-off students just before the crosswalk. This will avoid cars crossing over the double yellow line and endangering the students/people walking along the backstop area with wide-swinging cars. The specific directions will be:

• Northbound Traffic – Drop off students only in the swing-out area by the backstop. Do not drop them off in the bus zone, or in the street by the bus zone. After dropping them off, use right turn only to continue northbound.
• Southbound Traffic – Drop off students in the area just before the crosswalk and have the children immediately walk to the Safety Patrol that will be right in front of them. After dropping them off, continue southbound.
• Other – Many of you park the car and then walk the students to school; you can continue to do that as before, continuing to be careful of traffic!

S.O.S - Thank you for your donations to Maplewood’s Season of Sharing. With your contributions, five families received Scrip gift cards to Fred Meyer. Three of these families also received Thanksgiving dinners from Marco’s Restaurant. Thank you also to Marco’s for donating many of the dinners and allowing us to purchase the remaining dinners at a great discount. Thank you, The Parent Resource Committee

Yearbooks - Yes, Yearbooks – A bit of news for you …

Yearbooks are still available for pre-order. They will arrive in May 2006 and we wanted to be able to give you the opportunity to pre-pay and therefore pre-reserve your copy.

For standard non-personalized yearbook…. send $10.00

For personalized yearbooks……………… send $14.00*

* if the student did Not have their school photo taken by Lifetouch the personalized version is not available; personalized versions will have the students photo and name on the cover.

Checks should be made payable to Maplewood PTA

If your student joined Maplewood AFTER the school pictures were taken, we still include their photo in the Yearbook! We do our best to assure all new students through the end of February are included.
For all of the YearBook Helpers, ClassRoom Parents and those who said they would like to be involved with Class photo taking…we need to meet Tuesday, January 10^th at 12:30pm at Maplewood in Ms. Cynkar’s room.

If you have been collecting pictures already and wish to submit them, please put them in an envelope and address to YearBook c/o PTA. Please let us know who submitted them and from which classroom the photos came. Any photos we cannot use we do our best to return to you in March. We use as many as we can in 8 candid pages trying to capture the smiling faces of as many students as possible. Ideas: carnival, picnic, singing events, staff and classroom projects.

Thanks, Cathie Dainton Piacente, Wendy Rodakowski, & Melissa Gagliano

Best Regards,