NEW BUS BEGINS MONDAY, FEB. 1ST
CHECK THE SCHEDULE FOR YOUR NEW TIME AND BUS NUMBER!
Our fourth bus route will be added, and begins on the morning of Monday, February 1st; to prepare you and your child, it is HIGHLY important that you:
1. Look at the hard copy of the bus schedule we sent home with these notes, or go to the same schedule at http://www.pps.k12.or.us/depts-c/bus/index.php and click on the drop-down menu with the school name in it and choose Maplewood.
2. look at the schedule in #1 above, and look up your stop name, and it will tell you what times the bus picks up and drops off, and what the bus number will be.
3. help your child keep their new bus tag secure in/on their backpack (we’ll send home the new bus tag with your child during the day on Monday, Feb 1st).
4. If you do not see your child’s bus stop on the new route list, please call Kathy in the Maplewood office.
5. As in the beginning of the year, make sure you are out at the stop to meet the bus at least 5 minutes earlier than time on the schedule (as it always takes a few days for the driver to get used to the route and the timing).
As we mentioned in previous messages, we’re very happy to have the new bus, as it will now make our longest rides be shorter than any of our previous rides, and should decrease the number of students on each bus. To accommodate the new bus, we’ll lose 3 of our parking spaces; please watch for signs for expanded area for no parking, as well.
KINDERGARTEN FOR FALL 2010? - We are beginning plans for our Kindergartners for next fall. We really need to know how many, and which, students may be coming to our Kindergarten. We will be holding our annual Parent Information/Round-Up Session on Wed., Feb. 10th from 3:00 to 4:00. This session is for adults only, and will be set up to give you details about our programming and a chance for you to ask questions, see our current classrooms and teachers, etc. Please call the school office as soon as possible to help us know how many students (and classrooms!) we should be preparing for!
HARVEST OF THE MONTH - On January 13th and January 27th roasted Rutabagas will be served for Harvest of the Month in the school cafeteria. The same farmer who has grown parsnips, beets and cabbage for our Harvest of the Month Program in the past will be providing rutabagas for us this month. These yummy rutabagas were grown by Hilltop Farms located in Troutdale and their family has been farming on the same land for over 100 years. Please help us support local farms and local purchasing.
FROM THE LIBRARY:
Overdue Books and Renewals (on line)
Visit www.library.pps.k12.or.us Log in using your child’s 6-digit eSIS ID number and you can see what they have checked out and renew books online! Books are checked out for a two-week period. While you are there you can search the Maplewood book collection (thank you PTA for your additional funding each year!)
Battle of the Books (grades 3-5)
A record 94 students are participating this year!
Battle schedules are posted in the library and will be distributed to participants (battles are held during lunch recesses.) The final grade level battles will be held in the gym, February 23 from 12:30-1:30. Family members are welcome to attend battles.
Parent Volunteers in the Library
Half of the library classes have parents checking out books! What a wonderful outpouring of support. I have been delighted be fielding dozens of questions, helping students find a "just right" book. The following classes have spots for parent volunteers if you are interested: Scherlie, McIntyre, Savage, Hawes, McClenaghan, and Stanich. Parents report that it is “fun”, and a “nice way to get to know the children.”
As more parents are now checking out books, if a book comes home that you find “inappropriate” (too difficult, scary, or whatever) please contact me immediately, return the book and we’ll find something better!
Elin Kordahl, Maplewood Teacher-Librarian, Kordahl@pps.k12.or.us
CLOTHING FOR YOUR CHILDREN - As a reminder (especially if your children may be getting some new winter clothes during the break: I’d highly recommend you write your child’s name in them, as we’re trying to continually improve our ability to “reunite” children with their coats! Thanks, by the way, for the great help you gave us by sending all the warm clothes with your children during this last week of very cold weather!
ANNUAL CAMPAIGN TO RAISE FUND FOR ONE OF OUR SPECIALIST TEACHER POSITIONS! - We are beginning our annual campaign today, as noted on the letter being sent home today! Please consider ways you can contribute.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
PARENTS NIGHT OUT FOR VALENTINES!
Wilson Trojan State Champion Cheerleading is offering neighborhood parents and friends to bring their children to a Spend some Valentine time with your Sweetie night in the preschool and surrounding rooms at Wilson HS on Friday, February 12th, 4-8pm. Take advantage of quality child care in a safe and fun environment while you actually get to enjoy a rare date with your spouse and/or friends! Your children will enjoy games and stories with the cheerleaders and adult supervisors and will get to design and create as many Valentine's as they'd like to take home for loved ones. They might even get to learn a cheer or two from our WHS 2009 Oregon State Champs!
Cost is $4 per hour, per child with a family maximum of $12 per hour. Ages infant to 9 years are welcome and will be grouped according to age for appropriate activities. This is a fundraiser for Wilson Trojan Cheer and you only pay for the hours you use, but we encourage you to take advantage of this bargain for the full 4 hours if possible! Please also invite your friends and neighbors! Please contact Maureen at reenb@q.com 503.246.1474 for questions or to obtain a registration brochure.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Kathie McNett Retiring
KATHY McNETT ANNOUNCEMENT : Here is the text of yesterday's letter, that Kathie wanted to send out to staff and our community:
"Dear Mr. Blanck, staff, and Maplewood Families,
This is one of the hardest notes I've had to write. As you know, last year I was unassigned from working at Maplewood. Thanks to all of you , the Music program was saved! Due to an illness that I have had since childhood, I have decided to take some time off. Thanks to Mr. Blanck, my wonderful family and my doctors, taking a leave of absence will be helpful.
Mis Thompson, who I can't thank enough, will teach all the music classes. Miss Thompson taught at Wilson High School for many years so the students will be in great hands! Teaching at Maplewood for most of my thirty years of my professional career has been a wonderful experience!!!!! Working with Mr. Blanck, the staff and the Maplewppd community has been fantastic!! Thanks you all for THE BEST 22 YEARS EVER!!! Thank you again!! Kathie McNett"
It was with mixed emotions that I read this letter from Kathie McNett yesterday. Kathie has been an integral part of our school for the last 22 years, and we will really miss having her positive, laughing, love for music and children here. On the other hand, we all have affection for her, and can understand that her recent surgery added to her difficult string of medical issues these last few years; we therefore can understand her decision to retire from teaching and her need to fully heal, as soon as she can.
The plans for adjustment here at Maplewood will involve both immediate and longer term plans. We are fortunate to have Becky Thompson, a fantastic music teacher who has taught here before in addition to her previous teaching career at Wilson High. Becky is committed to teaching here through the end of the year, and will follow the current music class schedule, including choir.
NOTE: Band and Strings - We are making plans to continue to offer this for our 4th and 5th graders, but these will NOT be continued temporarily until we can make proper preparations for it; my prediction is that we will resume it within the next 3 weeks. I will send out a notice about this to you; in the meantime, don’t send the instruments to school with your children until further notice.
In terms of possible celebrations or ways of saying good-bye to Kathie, I will discuss this with PTA and parents and teaching staff, and let you know what may be planned.
In addition, our long term plans for continuing to staff music in the years to come will depend on the yearly staffing allocation, educational funding, and the success of our Maplewood Annual Campaign.
Please join me in welcoming Becky Thompson here again, and in wishing Kathie McNett the best of luck and happiness in her next life adventures.
"Dear Mr. Blanck, staff, and Maplewood Families,
This is one of the hardest notes I've had to write. As you know, last year I was unassigned from working at Maplewood. Thanks to all of you , the Music program was saved! Due to an illness that I have had since childhood, I have decided to take some time off. Thanks to Mr. Blanck, my wonderful family and my doctors, taking a leave of absence will be helpful.
Mis Thompson, who I can't thank enough, will teach all the music classes. Miss Thompson taught at Wilson High School for many years so the students will be in great hands! Teaching at Maplewood for most of my thirty years of my professional career has been a wonderful experience!!!!! Working with Mr. Blanck, the staff and the Maplewppd community has been fantastic!! Thanks you all for THE BEST 22 YEARS EVER!!! Thank you again!! Kathie McNett"
It was with mixed emotions that I read this letter from Kathie McNett yesterday. Kathie has been an integral part of our school for the last 22 years, and we will really miss having her positive, laughing, love for music and children here. On the other hand, we all have affection for her, and can understand that her recent surgery added to her difficult string of medical issues these last few years; we therefore can understand her decision to retire from teaching and her need to fully heal, as soon as she can.
The plans for adjustment here at Maplewood will involve both immediate and longer term plans. We are fortunate to have Becky Thompson, a fantastic music teacher who has taught here before in addition to her previous teaching career at Wilson High. Becky is committed to teaching here through the end of the year, and will follow the current music class schedule, including choir.
NOTE: Band and Strings - We are making plans to continue to offer this for our 4th and 5th graders, but these will NOT be continued temporarily until we can make proper preparations for it; my prediction is that we will resume it within the next 3 weeks. I will send out a notice about this to you; in the meantime, don’t send the instruments to school with your children until further notice.
In terms of possible celebrations or ways of saying good-bye to Kathie, I will discuss this with PTA and parents and teaching staff, and let you know what may be planned.
In addition, our long term plans for continuing to staff music in the years to come will depend on the yearly staffing allocation, educational funding, and the success of our Maplewood Annual Campaign.
Please join me in welcoming Becky Thompson here again, and in wishing Kathie McNett the best of luck and happiness in her next life adventures.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Head Lice Reminders
At the current time, we have only a very few students who have had head lice, but since head lice can appear at any time of year, I thought I'd remind parents about some policies that we have to follow at Maplewood. Our nurse, Michelle Maclachlan, is here only on Tuesdays; school nurses are hired through the Multnomah Educational Service District (MESD).
The current advice is that parents should periodically check their children for any signs of head lice. The MESD establishes many of our health policies, which include the following:
" Parents are encouraged to check their children regularly for head lice. Students with live lice will be excluded from school and sent home with lice treatment information. The student will be readmitted to school aftertreatment with an FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved medicated product and re-examination for live lice. Any student with nits only will be allowed in school and monitored for re-infestation of lice. Current evidence does not support classroom or school-wide screening as a measure for decreasing the incidence of head lice among school age children."
At Maplewood, we monitor cases of head lice, to watch for reasonable ways to prevent the spread of head lice. If you have questions about this, feel free to contact Michelle at Maplewood. Additional resources can be found at the MESD Head Lice Resources page at http://www.mesd.k12.or.us/shs/hss/Head%20Lice%20Resources/headliceresourcesindex.shtml
The current advice is that parents should periodically check their children for any signs of head lice. The MESD establishes many of our health policies, which include the following:
" Parents are encouraged to check their children regularly for head lice. Students with live lice will be excluded from school and sent home with lice treatment information. The student will be readmitted to school aftertreatment with an FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved medicated product and re-examination for live lice. Any student with nits only will be allowed in school and monitored for re-infestation of lice. Current evidence does not support classroom or school-wide screening as a measure for decreasing the incidence of head lice among school age children."
At Maplewood, we monitor cases of head lice, to watch for reasonable ways to prevent the spread of head lice. If you have questions about this, feel free to contact Michelle at Maplewood. Additional resources can be found at the MESD Head Lice Resources page at http://www.mesd.k12.or.us/shs/hss/Head%20Lice%20Resources/headliceresourcesindex.shtml
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Extra Bus Being Added in February
I have been monitoring the number of students and the length of the bus rides for students this year, and I've asked Transportation to make plans to decrease the number of students and the time students are riding the morning and afternoon buses. We currently have three buses that run routes for the beginning and the end of the day; we are now making plans to add a fourth bus beginning in February.
This will entail some changes for all of us - it is very possible that your child's drop-off or pick-up time and bus route # will be changed; at school, it means we have to get an expanded bus zone ready, and get bus schedules to you. We want to make this a smooth transition, which is why we will not be starting the new routes until at least the first week in February. "Stay tuned" for more specifics in January; I wanted to give you a heads-up.
This will entail some changes for all of us - it is very possible that your child's drop-off or pick-up time and bus route # will be changed; at school, it means we have to get an expanded bus zone ready, and get bus schedules to you. We want to make this a smooth transition, which is why we will not be starting the new routes until at least the first week in February. "Stay tuned" for more specifics in January; I wanted to give you a heads-up.
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