Apologies for Delay in Responding

Dear Community,
I simply want to acknowledge that many people have been sending emails to me , or talking to me, with some great questions or ideas or requests, and that I have not been able to get back to everyone very quickly.
There are not any "emergency" reasons for this; I simply have been swamped with these messages this year, and haven't been able to respond as quickly as I'd like.
The education of children is a passion of mine, and there are always way too many ideas for improving this work than there seems to be time or resources! Please accept my apologies for this, and also accept my appreciation for your patience, and for your hard work, in helping provide the students with the best education possible!
With appreciation, John

Principal Notes Nov 9, 2006

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 8^th, 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 and Capitol Hill. We, like about one third of the schools in the District, are on a Trimester system, not a quarterly system.

PICTURE RE-TAKE ON TUESDAY, 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 his/her portrait retaken, or you just want to order an additional package, please have him/her pick up a flyer at school for more information. The original package must be returned for a retake.

CONFERENCES COMING SOON – Students will not be attending school during the whole Conference week (Nov. 20^th – 24^th). Please call the school and schedule a time with your student’s teacher if you haven’t already done so.

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!

BOOKS ROCK!!! – We will be hosting our 2006 Maplewood Scholastic Book Fair in the school library from November 13th - 22nd. The Book Fair will offer specially priced books and educational products, including new releases, award-winning titles, children's classics, interactive software, adult books, and current bestsellers from more than 150 publishers. We are also selling raffle tickets throughout the Book Fair for some very special prizes! Support Maplewood and give the gift of knowledge. Any questions please contact Annette Fagan, 503-452-5123 or Amy McCleskey, 503-244-0558.

TARDIES – Our number of students coming late is improving, but we are still seeing the need to be “Ready at 8:00”. I read the following on a teacher’s newsletter home last week and thought that it expressed it well: “As the weather changes, it is harder and harder to get everyone up and going in the morning. While I know it is difficult, it is best for our classroom if everyone is able to get to class in a timely manner so that we can begin our day. Please try to get your children to class on time… the first bell is at 7:50 and the students should be in class and settled in by 8:00. If you arrive after 8:15, please check in with the office to get a tardy slip as I will have already completed attendance on the computer system.”

JAPANESE GARDEN FREE ADMISSION ON FRIDAY – This Friday, November 10^th (No School That Day), the Japanese Gardens of Portland is offering free admission. There will be free Garden tours that day, as well, at 10:45, 1:00, or 2:30. The Gardens will also be showing “Autumn Leaves”, the world-renowned Weyerhauser Pacific Rim Bonsai Exhibit.

Upcoming Events:

Nov 9 - NO SCHOOL! – Teacher Planning Day

Nov 10 - NO SCHOOL! – Veteran’s Day

Nov 13 - Scholastic Book Fair Begins

Nov 13 - Cookie Dough Sale Begins

Nov 14 - Picture Retake Day @ 8:00 am

Nov 16 - PTA Meeting @ 6:15 pm

Nov 17 - Vision Screening – 5^th grade

Nov 20-23 – NO SCHOOL! - Parent/Teacher Conferences

Nov 24 - NO SCHOOL! – Thanksgiving Day

Nov 25 - NO SCHOOL ! – Down Day

Nov 27 - Vision Screening – Kindergarten

Nov 30 - TAG Nominations Due

Dec 8 - NO SCHOOL! – Teacher Planning Day

Principal Notes Oct. 27, 2006

Mark Calendar for Nov 20!

This is a reminder that there is NO SCHOOL THE WHOLE WEEK OF NOV. 20^TH – 24^TH .

Most schools have school on a half-day on Monday, the 20^th, but we received a waiver to have NO SCHOOL on MON. NOV. 20 at all; this gives teachers more time for conferences with their large class sizes, and avoids a week of school where students would have only attended for a half-day.

Conferences are an important way to get to have teachers and parents get to know each other, and to focus their thoughts on helping the students! Please make every attempt to make the scheduled conferences that week to make the timing as efficient as possible.

NO SCHOOL NOV.1

Next Tuesday, all Portland Public Schools will be closed, as all staff will be in all-day training and professional development.
Voting

As I’ve mentioned in other communications, we know that teaching citizenship to our students also includes modeling good citizenship as adults. Taking part in voting is a great way to discuss with them your ways to make decisions. One of the measures you are deciding on is the Local Option. If you would like more information on the levy is posted on the Portland Public Schools website, www.pps.k12.or.us, under the "Local Option" link. That includes answers to these questions: How much would the local option cost me? How many teaching positions would the local option maintain at my school?

Also posted on the website: Local option information translated into Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Chinese.

Work Party Sunday

This Sunday at 10:00, you can come out and enjoy the nice (?) weather and help our Garden Committee to renovate the grounds around our raised beds. We have landscape cloth and new bark chips, and need your help (and your shovels and rakes and wheelbarrows) to help with this!

During that time, Multnomah Presbyterian Church will be painting our Portables for us as a volunteer project for our school!

Thanks to Volunteers

Every year I feel badly that I can’t name everyone who comes and volunteers, either here at school or at home. But be sure that we couldn’t be NEARLY as effective here at Maplewood without your help!

If you have ideas or want to volunteer your time, feel free to contact your child’s Room Parent, or our Volunteer Coordinator, Kimmy Nadeau 503.245.9750

Reminders to Students
Costumes can be brought to school on Tuesday, but not put on until after lunch, for the 12:30 parade.
Reminders to Parents

Costumes – Please make sure they are not bloody, violent, or too mature. The PTA has had some costumes donated in case your student wants to dress up. See the office.

Ready at 8:00! - Our Tardy numbers are decreasing, which helps your child, and helps classes get off to a good start in the morning!

Wish List

• Powerwash this Saturday
• Repair Garden Bench
• Tennis Balls (used or new)
  

Next Week’s Highlights:

Tuesday

12:30 Costume Parade on playground (if it rains, in gym)

Wednesday

NO SCHOOL – Professional Development Day

Upcoming Events

NO SCHOOL Nov. 9^th/10th

Planning Day Thursday and Holiday Friday

NO SCHOOL WEEK OF NOV. 20TH

Maplewood will NOT have school AT ALL during that week of conferences.

Picture Re-Takes Nov. 14th

PTA MEETING THURSDAY, NOV 16 6:15

NO SCHOOL FRIDAY, DEC. 8TH

On this Friday, Maplewood and Capitol Hill will NOT have school for a planning day, as we are on Trimester systems, but the other schools in our cluster will be in session that day!

Thank You For Safe Driving!

We are making special efforts this year for safety, which includes NO U-TURNS in and out of the pull-out lane – this avoids congestion and unsafe backing and turning for the kids.

I could use special help from people to make sure that you don’t park in any marked areas for no parking, such as bus zones or area across the street by the crosswalk.

Summer Almost Over

Happy August!

Today is the first day back for our wonderful Secretary Kathy Shimizu, who will be here in the office from 7:30 until 4:00 each day (with time away from the desk around noon each day). If you need to come to the office (register your child, etc.), this would be a wonderful time to do it.
WE had a wonderful event hosted by the Maplewood Neighbor Association July 23rd. It was a picnic/ice cream social, with commuity booths, and a cooling visit from the local fire station! It was fun to see all the adults, as well as the kids, giggling and screaming as then got hit by the fire hose! Our appreciation goes to Anne-Marie Fischer and everyone with the Maplewood Neighborhood, for all their work and thoughtful preparation!

We are looking forward to Multnomah Day this Saturday, August 19th, where Maplewood parents will be hosting a booth (that will give some information related to our upcoming plans to replace the playground, as well as give you a parent perspective on our school).

On August 27th (Sunday), will be our third annual Community Care Day; come to Maplewood at 11:30 to help beautify our school for the start of another year!
Looking forward to seeing many of you again in early September! - John

Principal Notes June 9, 2006

Dear Community,

THANKS FOR ANOTHER WONDERFUL YEAR OF SUPPORT! - I have to admit to people that I could fill up multiple pages here with apologies - apologies for the many great ideas people have suggested to me that I couldn’t get to; apologies for your many offerings of help for which I might not have personally thanked you; apologies for being gone so often to Principals’ Meetings; and apologies for not being able to communicate with you as much as I’d like. There are so many wonderful children, families, staff, and community members here, that I am awed and humbled. I am looking forward to next year, focusing on being back here at Maplewood. I finished my two year stint last week as Elementary Principal President and district-wide work, and always missed being here as often as I could. But I feel that the District is on very solid ground now, Maplewood continues to be strong, and believe next year will be a special one here.

I do want to pay particular attention to the support people here have given to our staff during difficult times: our wonderful teachers have experienced an unusually high amount of personal challenges this year, ranging from the birth of twins, premature births of grandchildren (with positive outcome), death or significant illness of parents, injuries, surgeries, and ending with the sad death of a loved ex-student. I am proud of the way the staff maintained their dedication and focus on the children here, and proud of the many offerings of support (and quiet patience) of the parents and community. And most of all, I am grateful for the gifts that your children give to us every day - the gifts of their energy, their resiliency, and their own particular talents, which keeps me excited to wake up each day and come to this school.

Please pay attention to the chances to get together this summer: the Maplewood Neighborhood Association picnic here on July 23rd, the Community Care Day here on Aug. 27th, Multnomah Days (on the same day as our school campout Aug. 19th), and the weekly gatherings on Tuesday evenings at April Hill Park. Please also communicate with me by email if you want to be added to my group email list, and watch the Maplewood website for other announcements. See you in September! John Blanck

FIELD DAY WAS FUN FOR EVERYONE! - Thank you to all the parent volunteers, teachers, other staff and students for making Field Day so much fun. We had great weather, wonderful enthusiasm and lots of water!!! Thanks also to the PTA for funding the yummy popsicles! Thanks again for all the hard work to make this event successful. Amy McCleskey and Annette Fagan

THANK YOU ALL!!! – Please accept my heartfelt thank you to each and every one of my dear Maplewood friends, families, students, and staff!! Never have I been so moved, been so honored and felt so appreciated. My feet still haven’t touched the ground. I had an absolutely awesome day and went home that night with a warm inner glow that will stay with me forever. My husband, Joji and I are really looking forward to going to the Seattle Mariners vs Colorado Rockies game on July 1^{st !!} It’ll be so nice to be able to spend the night and not have to drive home after celebrating the Mariners win!! It’s my first day of vacation and Mariners Moose Bobble Head Night too! I’ll be adding a very special Bobble Head to my collection to remember my great gift from all of you. I have already enjoyed the warm, cozy Mariners blanket as I fell asleep with it watching the Mariners beat the Twins in the 11^th inning that night. Go Mariners!!! I put “Ichiro’s” card in the slot on my lunchbox and have been using it everyday. The awesome basket, that all of the great gifts came in, has officially been claimed by my Siamese kitten “Monsieur Bleu”. I put an old blanket in the basket and he just curled up and started purring instantly, so he is also very thankful to all of you! And finally, I want to thank everyone who helped put my scrapbook together. It really is beautiful. Thanks to the students who all did an outstanding job on the artwork and to the teachers, Mr. Blanck, and the parents for putting so much time, thought and creativity into it. I get misty-eyed when I look at each very special page. It is proudly displayed on my coffee table and will be for many years to come. I thank you all for allowing me to be a part of your lives and for being able to be a part of this great school and community!!

Kathy Shimizu

Upcoming Events:

June 13 - All School Assembly @ 12:30 pm/5^th Grade Promotion @1:00 pm

June 14 - 5^th Grade Talent Show @10:00 am

June 14 - Last Day of School!

July 23 - Community Picnic at Maplewood 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Aug 18/19 -School Campout

Aug 19 - Multnomah Days

Aug 27 - Community Care Day at Maplewood @ 10:30 am

Sept. 6 – First Day of School in fall for grades 1 through 5

Sept. 11 – First Day of School for Kindergarten

Nomination For Our Site Council

Nominate Now for Site Council!

June 2nd Deadline to nominate for this year’s Site Council:

An opportunity to be vitally involved in Maplewood School: Our Site Council is the committee made up of 3 parents, 5 teachers, a classified staff member, and the Principal. We meet monthly to discuss and decide on important matters that are centrally related to Maplewood’s goals and programs, including Foundation Fund use, goals for the school, and Professional Development Plans. We currently have one opening for a parent member who has finished their 2-year term, and we are encouraging you to consider joining David Garnand and Simone Frank, our other two Site Council parent representatives.

This is important, meaningful input!

If you are interested in running (or know someone you’d like to nominate) for election to this position, please have the following information filled out and sent back in to the School Office by Friday, June 2nd. As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Thanks for your interest!

John Blanck, Principal

Nomination Form for Maplewood Site Council 2006-2008 (This form can not be submitted online in this blogspot; you can email your interest to John, however) Name: Your child at Maplewood: Home Phone Number: Email: Statement from Candidate about your interest in serving (no more than 100 words; use back or separate page if needed):

Principal Notes May 26, 2006

FUN AND LEARNING TOOK PLACE AT MAPLEWOOD'S HEALTHY FAMILIES FAIR! - A big thank you to all of the people who put in a great deal of time and effort to make this Premier event happen on May 12th. Loren Slocum, Renae Conkle, and Karrie Sundbom put in much time and creativity in bringing information, donations and artwork to the event. Thanks also to station leaders, Amanda Smith, David Dacklin, Simone Frank, Lisa Sloan and Blaine Rethmeier. And thank you as well to all the parents who helped with setting up and taking down the event and serving the delicious supper. Thanks also go to Colleen Holland and Eric Hjorting for help with obtaining donated foods and Matt Bissonette for supplying flyers for the event. The fair was supported by many of our neighborhood businesses that focus on healthy foods. Thank you to Down to Earth Cafe, Pizzacato, Marcos Cafe, Trader Joes, Wild Oats, and New Seasons! And thank you to all who attended this event! We had a great turn out - lets continue to encourage one another's healthy habits! Karen Bissonette and the PTA Family Resource Committee

REGISTER FOR FALL SOCCER NOW – Foothills Soccer Club is seeking players, coaches and board members for the fall season. Register online and get information at www.foothillssoccer.org. For questions and scholarship information leave a message at (503) 672-9264, ext 452.

YEAR END CAFETERIA ACCOUNT BALANCES –

• Any remaining account balances (positive or negative) on students’ meal accounts at the end of the year will be automatically held for students at their current school or transferred to students’ new schools within the district.
• If your student is leaving the district then you may call Lae’La, Cafeteria Lead at 505.916.5219 to arrange for a refund.
• Parents/Guardians, I’m noticing in the last couple of weeks, a lot of negative balances. Spring is a busy time of year, so let’s try to remember to send lunch money. Thanks, Lae’La

WORK "PARTIES" THE GARDEN COMMITTEE HAS SCHEDULED:

• Wednesday, May 31, 12-2pm, Wildwood
• Saturday, June 10, 9-11am, mulch and care of paths in and around Wildwood, and classroom boxes

Come for a 1/2 hour, 1 hour, or the whole 2 hours, ANY help would be greatly appreciated! Please bring your own weeding tools/gloves, and enjoy great conversation and company while helping to keep the Maplewood gardens wonderful! Thank you! Aimee McQuiston

SUMMER PICNIC - Maplewood Neighborhood Association (MNA) would like to join in with Maplewood School and have a summer picnic on Sunday, July 23rd from 1pm to 5 pm at the school. Our vision is to provide musical entertainment, community information, and hopefully ice cream and cold drinks, and families would bring their own picnics and blankets. The event would also feature visits from the local police and fire departments, crime prevention specialists, and/or elected officials.

We need volunteers from Maplewood School to coordinate with the co-chair from the MNA. MNA has volunteers ready to help but we want to build community and we need your involvement. Please contact Jim@Battan.com (or 503-768-9998) by June 2nd if you can help make this first joint picnic a success by volunteering to help.

SITE COUNCIL NOMINATION – See the notice (separate sheet) going home today, about an opening on our Site Council!

Best Regards, John

Principal Notes for !pril 21, 2006

Dear Community - Don't forget to TURN OFF YOUR T.V. NEXT WEEK! I attached a flyer in hard copy to the Principal Notes that went home, but couldn't get it electronically as yet.

Here is today's "Principal Notes" :

JOHN MCCUTCHEON IN CONCERT - Storyteller and musician John McCutcheon will perform on Sunday, April 30, at 3pm at the Hollywood Theatre. This family-friendly concert is a benefit for the First Octave Fund of the Portland Schools Foundation. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children over 2 and are available at the Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Boulevard, (503) 493-1128 or www.hollywoodtheatre.org <http://www.hollywoodtheatre.org/> . For more information call Ellen Regal Productions: (503) 288-5042.

DIRECT SCRIP SALES START THIS MONDAY, APRIL 24 – Now you can buy your SCRIP cards and certificates right here at school! Starting next week, the Maplewood SCRIP Committee will be selling a limited selection every Monday morning (7:45-8:15) inside the building, and every Thursday afternoon (2:00-2:30) at an outside table (the full selection of SCRIP businesses is still available for weekly pre-orders). Every time you use a SCRIP card, a small percentage goes to our account with the Portland Schools Foundation to support staff positions here at Maplewood. The SCRIP Committee will also be surveying parents on what other vendors to offer on a regular basis, so stop by the table and give them your input!

AFTER SCHOOL PLANS FOR YOUR KIDS – At this busy time of year, we know that many familes have many activities scheduled for the end of the day. But I am worried that there have been so many last minute, or daily, phone calls to the office from you, asking to have messages given to your kids about after school plans. The reason that I am worried is that the office can be a very busy place, and I would hate to mis-communicate to your children. So please make sure the plans for the end of the day are set and communicated to your kids before the end of the day (notes written, etc.). We certainly understand last minute changes (we’re talking about busy families and kids here, right?), and we’re happy to help; but please help us keep kids safe by keeping the message calls to a minimum when possible!

BUDGETS AND RECONFIGURATIONS AND EFFECTS ON MAPLEWOOD – As I mentioned at the last PTA meeting, I am going on record as being in support of the Superintendent’s proposal, mainly because of the provisions for time to take more specific community input between now and October 1^st. I was relieved to see that the proposal would also include the preliminary allotment of .31 more FTE (equal to a third of a certified staff member) next fall than what we received this year! (First time in 6 years we had an increase!). This was in addition to the district plan to maintain current teaching staff and to keep a full school year. I will need to make a plan within the next two weeks (or change a plan if the school board changes things on their May 1 vote); if you have ideas you’d like to share with me, the best way to do that with me is to email or write me a note about it. If you would like to express your opinion about Board Decisions, see the item below about it, or email the Board at schoolboard@pps.k12.or.us and it will be seen by every Board member.

MAPLEWOOD CAMPAIGN - I want to remind people that our Annual Campaign, held last fall, is still a vital part of keeping our staffing as full as it is. I have been recently informed, however, that making staffing requests with the Foundation money is now a little “tighter” than in the past (we need to “Show Them the Money” in a sense). This means that I will be reminding them to account for the people who made monthly pledges, and that if there are people out there who were waiting to make a direct pledge to the Campaign, now would be the time to do so! This would help me greatly in being able to continue to staff Maplewood with the highest quality people!

K-8 QUESTIONS AND DISTRICT DECISIONS - I have received some information this morning from the Superintendent’s Office, that gives a few glimpses into the possible looks for K-8 schools. I will post them on my blogsite in case you’d like to see more http://maplewoodprincipal.blogspot.com/.

I attended the Community Meeting last Weds. at Rieke and saw several Maplewood parents there as well. That meeting’s purpose was to answer questions for the communities involved (by the way, you can’t change one school in a system without having some effects on all schools or children). The district has set other dates for “Hearings”, which means people can offer input, usually without any responses from them. Two possible times when you can give input include:

• School Board Meeting & Budget Hearing (Citizen Budget Review Committee Report), Monday, April 24, 6:30 p.m.

• SCHOOL BOARD COMMUNITY PUBLIC MEETINGS Members of the School Board will hold hearings in Southeast, Northeast, North and West Portland to hear testimony on the proposals in each of those areas. The West Side meeting is at Wilson High School, 1151 SW Vermont, Wednesday, April 26 at 6:30 pm

The School Board will vote at their Monday, May 1^st meeting.

Upcoming Events:

Apr 25 - Run for the Arts (RE-SCHEDULED TO THIS DAY)

Apr 28 - End of Run for the Arts Collection Period

Apr 28 - Bookbaggers!

May 1-5 - Teacher Appreciation Week!!

May 11 - PTA Meeting

May 18 - Kindergarten Open House 3:00 – 4:00 pm

May 23 - 5^th Grade vs Faculty Basketball Game

May 25 - Spring Celebration Sing

May 29 - Memorial Day – NO SCHOOL

May 31 - A Musical Tour of the America’s Assembly at 9:30 am

Maplewood Principal Notes April 7

TARDINESS HAS BECOME A PROBLEM – I am writing to ask for your help in keeping down our disruptions to the classes that seems to be happening a great deal this year. When students are not “Ready at 8”, then not only are they missing some valuable instructions for the day, but it is also a disruption to the other students (and to the staff who are working hard to make every minute of instruction count). Please help your child be Responsible and Organized (two Life skills we are teaching here to help them be successful) by having them to school in time to get themselves ready to learn when the bell rings at 8:00. Most of you are very prompt, which is highly appreciated.

APRIL 17 IS A SCHOOL DAY FOR MAPLEWOOD, but not for other cluster schools - This is one of the days this year when our Trimester Calendar means that we are in session, but the quarterly schools have a planning day.

MAPLEWOOD SPELLERS REPRESENTING US APRIL 26^TH - We are proud to announce that the following students will represent our 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th graders in a city-wide Spelldown. Our 3^rd graders are Zoe Crain and Zoe LaDu, 4^th graders are Keenan Murray and William Nourse, and 5^th graders are Vince Campbell and Joe Weissig. Congratulations and good luck to our representatives.

APRIL LIFESKILL - Remember the saying, “Patience is a virtue”? Patience is waiting calmly without complaint; steadfast; faithful; dependable – all excellent character traits in a family member, friend, and an employee. The next LIFESKILL topic for our school is:

PATIENCE

As family members, you understand how demanding one child or a few children can be. In the classroom, where we have many more students, the LIFESKILL of Patience is an extremely important skill for both the teacher and the students to use. Some of the ways we will develop a deeper understanding of the LIFESKILL of Patience include:

· Brainstorming constructive activities that can be done while waiting in a line

· Listing many situations in which we might need to be patient

· Role playing situations that show impatience and then patience

At home, you can further continue our study of patience by:

· Insisting that children take turns

· Reading chapter books – one chapter per night

· Encouraging your child to set some long-term goals, such as saving for a pair of roller blades, a bike, or a movie ticket

Family members are their children’s best role models. Help your child to become a better learner by modeling a sense of perseverance, patience, and inner strength.

April Character Education Program Update from Jenny Pitts,

Character Ed Specialist

Student Council: Now that Project Second Wind, the food drive, is complete – the Student Council is in the process of deciding on another project to start on or complete by the end of the year. Lots of great ideas have come from council members and their classmates. I’ll keep you posted on further developments!

Lifeskills: To date we have focused on seven Lifeskills: Friendship, Cooperation, Responsibility, Caring, Integrity, Effort, and Organization. This month we are talking about the Lifeskill PATIENCE.

Parent Resource Library: Thank you for all of your book suggestions! The books have arrived! The Parent Resource Library bookshelf is located against the wall by room 102. Some book suggestions came in after we placed the order. I have kept track of these and plan on including them the next time we order books for the library. Amanda Smith is still developing a checkout system, so stay tuned!

Second Step Workshop for Kindergarten Parents: I am in the process of planning an informational workshop about the Second Step program that Kindergarten students are receiving in their classroom. Second Step is a school-based program that teaches children to think of others’ feelings, solve problems cooperatively, and manage their anger in a positive way. This workshop will occur in May. When I know the exact date, I will send notes home and information about how parents can sign up.

Steps to Respect: This week, I started the Steps to Respect program in both 5^th grade classes. It is a bullying prevention program. The primary goal of this program is to help create a safe, caring, respectful learning environment. As part of Steps to Respect, 5^th grade students will learn new skills to help them build friendships and deal with bullying. They will learn to make friends, manage conflicts, and recognize, refuse, and report bullying – whether it happens to them or someone else. These are great skills to have, for our learning environment now, and in the future! If you have any questions, please contact me at (503) 916-6308.

PROJECT SECOND WIND: We reached our Project Second Wind goal…and then some! In one week we collected 520 pounds of food and $278.54 (which is enough to buy 1,671 pounds of food). This brings our total “pounds” collected to 2,196!!! Thank you to our Student Council for helping with the annual food drive, and a big thank you to our generous students, families, and staff. The food and money collected will go a long way in helping fight hunger in our state! Jenny Pitts, Character Education Specialist.

Upcoming Events:

Apr 13 - PTA Meeting 6:15 to 7:30

Apr 13 - End of Run for the Arts Pledge Period

Apr 14 - Robert Gray Middle School Visit at 9:45 a.m.

Apr. 17 - Yes, we do have school at Maplewood that day

Apr 18 - Run for the Arts

Apr 20 - Rockin’ Water Show for 4^th/5^th Grade at 10:30 am

Apr 25 - Run for the Arts Rain Date

Apr 28 - End of Run for the Arts Collection Period

Apr 28 - Bookbaggers!

May 1-5 - Teacher Appreciation Week!!

Principal Notes March 10, 2006

REMINDER: MAPLEWOOD WEEK STARTS THIS MONDAY WITH PAJAMA DAY! - Our Spirit Week will have people wearing Pajamas to school, and getting Maplebars on Monday. Mark your calendars for Tuesday being Maplewood Day (wear something representing Maplewood) and then having Skate Night that evening. (Roller Skating is at Oaks Park from 6:30 to 8:30 with a $4.25 admission; siblings and friends welcome – we have the place to ourselves! The most of the admission proceeds goes to Maplewood PTA). Wednesday will have people wearing hats, and Thursday wearing green!

REMINDER: NO SCHOOL FOR MAPLEWOOD ON FRIDAY, MARCH 17 – This is one of the days this year that we will have a different calendar from the rest of the schools in the cluster (because we are on a trimester calendar). In the future, however, we will have one day that is the reverse – on April 17 we will be in school, but other schools in the area will not).

2006 READ-ALOUD-ATHON SUMMARY - The total is in for this year's Read-Aloud-Athon; our readers raised $4,394.70 for Maplewood PTA. Congratulations to the Maplewood Community for a very successful fund raising effort. All the students received a participation prize. In addition, Ms. Gray's and Ms. McClenaghan's students -- both with 65% of the class returning paid pledge forms – will enjoy pizza parties with Mr. Blanck. Individual prizes will be awarded as well. Thank you to Loren Slocum, generous with her time and money, for ordering and purchasing the participation and individual prizes. Thank you also to Renae Conkle, Christine Fuller, Aimee McQuiston, Jim Battan, Mike Gettel-Gilmartin, Catherine Rutledge-Gorman, Lori Calkin's friend Kris, Max Gardner, Janet Metz and Teri Carlson for assisting in the classrooms on the day of the event. Thank you especially to the students, their sponsors and the classroom teachers for participating in this fund raising effort and making it a success. (from Lynn Barkley, Read-Aloud-Athon Coordinator)

PPS BUDGET – WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? – As the Superintendent and School Board work through the budget for next year, they want to hear from you. You may weigh in with your priorities for the next budget by filling out a quick on-line survey: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB22546DLN9D9. You may ONLY take the survey ONCE!

PORTLAND METRO CONCERT BAND GIVES MAPLEWOOD ANOTHER FREE CONCERT: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22 AT 10:00 A.M. – For the last several years, this accomplished group has donated their time to give our students a free concert, giving them “up front and close” a fine taste of concert band tradition; some of our students will again be performing with them in our gym. You are invited to attend as well!

TREE PLANTING FRIDAY MARCH 24^TH – I am pleased to announce that a long-standing vision of our own mini “arboretum” will get a huge start with the planting of a wide variety of 16 trees with informational labels. There will be a line of trees along our north fence and along 51^st avenue on the NE side of our property. Thanks to the City of Portland Urban Forestry Department, and to the help of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association, they will provide the trees (donated by Schmidt and Son Co.), the planting crew, water bags, labels, and mulch at no cost to Maplewood! Beginning at 9:30 that day, they will give a short talk about some of the trees to two classes at a time and give each student a chance to shovel some mulch into the holes. The donors will come out again near the end of the year to do a “Tree Walk” to talk more about our trees. They are seeking volunteers who might enjoy coming to help them with this process. Call Karl Dawson of the Urban Foresty Department at 503-823-1650

NEW ELECTRONIC DISPLAY AREA - PPS is very pleased to introduce the new Electronic Display Area on the district's website where families may look for additional activities/events/classes/services in which their children may participate. These notices are placed on the site by non-school groups. The groups providing this information are not endorsed or sponsored by Portland Public Schools. District policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. BP 1.80.020. Not all outside groups comply with the District's non-discrimination policy. Families are strongly encouraged to review all materials closely. Go to the PPS main page at www.pps.k12.or.us and along the left side click on NON-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH. You may also go directly to www.nonschoolactivities.pps.k12.or.us to reach the site. Rudy Rudolph, Director of School Support

AFTER-SCHOOL DRAMA WORKSHOP AT MAPLEWOOD THIS SPRING - Short Plays and Skits for Grades K-2. Tuesdays, April 18th-June 6th from 2:15-3:15 p.m. $85 per student. Students work with pantomime, short skits, storytelling and theatre games to learn acting skills. Registration forms were sent home, will be coming home again after Spring Break, or available for pick-up in the office. For more information, call The Young Players at 503.624.7499 or <http://www.theyoungplayers.com/> www.theyoungplayers.com

Upcoming Events:

Mar 13 – 16 Maplewood Week!

Mar 16 - Grading Period Ends

Mar 16 - Rescheduled PTA Mtg @ 6:15 p.m.

Mar 17 - Teacher Planning Day – NO SCHOOL (although the other Wilson Cluster Schools who are on Quarter System WILL be in session - Maplewood is on Trimester System)

Mar 24 - Elementary/Middle School Transfer Deadline

Mar 27 - 31 Spring Break!

Apr 2 - Daylight Saving Time Begins

Apr 3 - Spyglass Theatre “The Secret Life of Bugs”

10:30 – 11:20 am

Apr 11 - Run for the Arts

Best Regards, John

Maplewood Arboretum Being Planted

Maplewood Tree Planting

Friday
March 24^th

9:00 to 12:00 pm

7552 SW 52^nd Avenue

Portland Oregon

Portland Parks & Recreation Neighborhood Tree Liaison have organized a school planting in the Maplewood Elementary School.

Portland Parks & Recreation Neighborhood Tree Liaison Volunteers have organized a school tree planting at Maplewood Elementary School. Community volunteers are needed to plant 16 trees on the edge of the lower field at on Friday March 24 at 9:00 am. Sixteen different tree species will be planted to create a mini-arboretum, which can be used as a teaching tool by Maplewood Elementary School. Each tree will have a label and a map will be available on the Parks & Recreation web site, www.portlandparks.org. Photos of the planting spots and names of the trees can also be found on the Maplewood website at http://www.maplewood.pps.k12.or.us/.docs/pg/4845

Your help is needed. Please contact Karl Dawson with Portland Parks & Recreation Neighborhood Tree Liaison Program at 823-1650 or kdawson@ci.portland.or.us to sign up.

Principal Notes March 3, 2006

MAPLEWOOD SPIRIT WEEK DIFFERENT THAN ON PRINTED CALENDAR!!
The correct days for "Maplewood Week" here at school are March 13 through the 16th! I made a mistake in approving the printing of the school calendar, and didn't change it to the one approved by our calendar committee. The brief summary of our events are:
Monday March 13 - "P.J. and Maplebars Day": Students and staff will be allowed to wear their pajamas that day, if they chose to; it will also be the traditional day that students/staff will be served a maple bar baked good.
Tuesday, March 14 - "Maplewood Day and Skate Night": Everyone is encouraged to wear clothing that displays Maplewood’s name on it (it can be hand designed as well as a commercially printed shirt, if you like). That night is also when Oaks Park roller skating rink is open to Maplewood families.
Wednesday, March 15 - "Hat Day": wear a hat to school!
Thursday, March 16 - "Green Day": wear something green!
Friday, March 17 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Planning Day

AFTER SCHOOL ART CLASSES IN THE SPRING - My Masterpiece Studio, an after school, arts enrichment program with courses devoted to the importance of expression through exploration with different art mediums will be back this spring. Working with paint, printmaking, collage and ceramic techniques, students will focus on the work of Picasso and Matisse, two of the finest artists of the 20th century. Look for brochures with registration information in your child’s backpack. Sign up for all 8 classes by April 7th and receive a free art kit. mymasterpiecestudio@comcasata.net

FIELD DAY COORDINATOR NEEDED - For all of the new families at Maplewood, Field Day is a day of fun and games for all of the students at Maplewood. This year, Field Day is Tuesday, June 6th, and we are currently in need of a parent, or group of parents who are willing to decide on the games, get the items needed for the games, and assign volunteers to work each station. I have a file full of game ideas for the coordinator. Preparation for Field Day is easy...and it's a fun event to be a part of! If you are interested in coordinating Field Day, please contact Kimmy Nadeau at 503-245-9750 or kimmy@easystreet.com.

Upcoming Events:
Mar 9 - PTA Meeting 6:30
Mar 13 – 16 Maplewood Spirit Week! (Includes Tuesday night Oaks Park Skating Night)
Mar 16 - Grading Period Ends
Mar 17 - Teacher Planning Day – NO SCHOOL
Mar 24 - Elementary/Middle School Transfer Deadline
Mar 27 - 31 Spring Break!
April 3 - First Day back from Spring Break

Principal Notes Feb. 17, 2006

SCHOOL CLOSED – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Feb. 20, 21, 22)!! As a reminder, all Portland Schools will be closed those three days for Presidents’ Day and for Teacher Workshops!


FOURTH GRADERS THANK YOU! - The fourth grade teachers and students would like to thank the Maplewood community for supporting our See's candy sale. Because of your generosity, we are able to reduce the cost of the Oregon Trail Overnight trip we take in the spring. This year's sale was a great success due to your support. Thank you! - Liberty Jones, 4th Grade Teacher


PROJECT SECOND WIND - Each month thousands of children in our state receive emergency food assistance through Oregon Food Bank Network. Project Second Wind gives students an important opportunity to aid their peers and learn about the issue of hunger. March 6-10th, Student Council member will be assisting their classes with collecting food and money for Project Second Wind. For every $1 donated, Oregon Food Bank can collect and distribute 6 pounds of food that has an $8 value and funds programs that address the root causes of hunger. Or you can help by donating needed food items like tuna, pasta, rice, canned beans, and canned fruit. Let’s make this year’s food drive a huge success!


LIFESKILL - As the students learn more about the various skills that will help them travel through life, they will explore the Lifeskill of Effort is a crucial ingredient; it may be the determining factor between success and failure. While effort alone doesn’t create achievement, it keeps us moving toward that goal. Therefore, any way we can nurture the development of this behavior in children, will surely increase their quality of living. Students will learn to: ~ Identify the attributes of personal effort ~ Identify and observe citizens who are models of the LIFESKILL of Effort ~ Identify effort as both process and product; the way we work and the outcome of that work. Ways you can help at home to emphasize the LIFESKILL of Effort include: ~ Share personal examples of times when you, as parents, have used the LIFESKILL of Effort ~ Teach your child how to create a timetable for short- and long-term projects·~ Discuss with your family examples of the LIFESKILL of Effort on the evening news. By working in partnership, schools and parents can stress the importance of effort for a successful life. From: Jenny Pitts, Character Ed. Specialist



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.

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

SCRIP – A reminder that an effective, free way to have money donated to Maplewood is by using Scrip when you go to buy from local businesses. Please take a close look at the Scrip offerings to see how they could be useful to you. People are also now looking for ways to make the purchasing be even more convenient!!

Upcoming Events:
Feb 20 - Presidents’ Day – NO SCHOOL
Feb 21 - Professional Development Day – NO SCHOOL
Feb 22 - Professional Development Day – NO SCHOOL
Mar 2 - Read Across America all day
Mar 9 - PTA Meeting 6:30
Mar 13-16th- Maplewood Week
Mar 16 - Grading Period Ends
Mar 17 - Teacher Planning Day – NO SCHOOL
Mar 27 - 31 Spring Break!

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