|
From your PTSA board:
Dear Sunnyside Community Members,
We're sure that you've all heard about the destructive fire at Marysville this week. Oregon PTA and Portland PTA have created a simple way for all of us to help. Please read the list below and bring in donations to SES on Monday the 16th at drop off. If weather allows, we will be outside at the cob bench accepting donations. If not, we will be just inside the front doors. Please note that the request is for New or Like New items. I think Dillon might be having a Hot Chocolate Stand this weekend...I heard that nike has made an incredibly generous donation of coats and backpacks--we can concentrate on other items.
Thanks,
Your PTSA board
Donations Requested (*New or Like New*)
Sweaters
Lunch Bags/Boxes
Art Supplies (paints, markers, paper ect)
Library Books
Boxes of Tissues
Construction Paper
Photocopy Paper
Checks for financial donations to cover additional needs can be made to Portland Council PTA with Marysville Donation in the memo and mailed to:
Portland Council PTA
2246 SE 90th Ave.
Portland, OR 97216
We were already scheduled for a shift at the Clothes Closet. The fire at Marysville has made this an even more critical resource in our community. Please read the following request with an eye for possibility...
The PTA Clothing Center needs help from the SES community on Monday, November 30. November 30 is the day for SES to help staff the PTA Clothing Center. We need at least 5 volunteers to help the many families who show up to take advantage of the free clothing offered by the Clothing Center. The hours are 9:30-1:00. Because of the current economy, the Clothing Center is serving more people than usual, and it's necessary to have volunteers helping families to find appropriate clothing as quickly as possible, in order to move as many people through as possible. Please respond to Hilary Nally at hdnally@spiretech.com or 503/236-4493 if you are available for all or part
of the morning, or if you have any questions about volunteering. The Clothing Center is located at Marshall High School, 3905 SE 91st Ave. Cash donations, donations of new jeans, socks and underwear, and donations of gently used winter clothing (especially coats and jeans for girls sizes 8-10 and boys 12-16) are also greatly needed. I'd be happy to pick up any donations that you have - just let me know.
From the library:
As our wonderful library continues to open...we are seeing more and more of your children coming to the library, checking out books, checking books in, asking for help finding books to read, and otherwise enjoying the library. This is exactly what we all wanted for the library, and I am so grateful for all your help/support in getting through the inventory and preparing the library for classes! On Tuesday we had five classes visit the library (about 150 students) and about 250 books were checked out!! A HUGE thank you to Win, Catherine and Shawn for making that possible!
As the classes are coming in and checking out books there is more and more need for library maintenance in all its forms. I wish I could say that I could do it all in 20 hours a week, but I cannot, and I am asking for your help again, in order to make the library as welcoming a place as it should be for our school.
With that in mind, if you are able to volunteer during class visits (Tues/Wed/Friday) you will make it possible for there to be a person handling check-out and a person (and the classroom teacher or aide) answering student questions related to finding books (if I'm there by myself I will only be able to do check-out). The students have LOTS of questions and I would love to be able to answer them all.
Also, if you would prefer to volunteer during a time where there are no classes visiting you will be providing a tremendous service to the school and to me, because you will be there to help shelve, tidy, organize, label, repair, weed, etc. which, in turn, will allow me to focus my efforts on preparing for the class visits (storytelling, poem reciting, readings, presentations to the middle school) and collection development (both deciding what to purchase and how to fund those purchases, but also deciding what to weed from the collection so we have the space to showcase our gems and shelve our new books). While I am not officially a library media specialist in the eyes of the district, I am doing my best to try to provide that level of performance for your students. With your help I will be better able to do that.
Finally, I am not particularly good at asking for help, but I know I need to ask. Please know that I am asking humbly for your help, and I completely understand you don't have time, or aren't available currently. If you can help, please let Win Hiton (winhiton@speakeasy.net) know and she'll get you scheduled. If you are already on the schedule, thank you, thank you.
Thank you for your support of the library, and I hope you have a marvelous Thursday!
-Kathryn
P.S. Quick library update: we just ordered three Mac desktops for the library (they should arrive in 3-4 weeks) - finally our students will have computer access in the library!!
Kathryn Kohl
Library Assistant
Sunnyside Environmental School
kkohl@pps.k12.or.us
PPS High School System Redesign Meetings
Portland Public Schools
and Portland Council PTA will be hosting community meetings to discuss
the latest plans to redesign our High School System, under a model that
includes :
Community Schools, so students have strong programs no matter where they live.Focus Schools, so students can choose to go deep in an interest area or approach. Education options, so students have alternatives.
Dates and Locations: Meetings will run from 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Tuesday, November 17 - Grant HS 2245 NE 36th Ave(Begins 7:00PM)
Monday, November 30 - Cleveland HS 3400 SE 26th Ave
Monday, November 30 - Lincoln HS 1600 SW Salmon Street
Tuesday, December 1 - Jefferson HS 5210 N. Kerby
Tuesday, December 1 - Marshall Campus 3905 SE 91st Ave.
Wednesday, December 2 - Roosevelt Campus 6941 N. Central Street
Wednesday, December 2 - Wilson HS 1151 SW Vermont Street
Thursday, December 3 - Franklin HS 5405 SE Woodward Street
Thursday, December 3 - Madison HS 2735 NE 82nd Ave.
All families and students are invited! Come to the meeting at your
neighborhood high school or one that fits your schedule. Translation
services will be available. Child care for ages 3 and over will be
provided.
|
Fundraising/Community Opportunities:
Wreath & Poinsettia Sale: All the information you need is on the attached order form. You can use the Word version and email it back to Claire at barnett.claire@gmail.com (pay via PayPal), or you can print the pdf and leave it in the office with a check (or pay via PayPal).
All orders need to be in by November 20th.
Holiday Scrip:
The Holidays are almost upon us. This year, give the gift that gives twice. SCRIP Pre-Paid Gift Cards offer an easy way to take care of many of your holiday gift giving needs. Your purchase also benefits our kids, with a percentage of each purchase going to Sunnyside PTA programs that support our whole school. MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILIES CAN DEDICATE THE PROFITS FROM THEIR PURCHASES TOWARD THE MARINE BIOLOGY FUND.
You can skip the post office and avoid a trip to the mall. Buy gift cards for out-of-town relatives and everyone else on your list. An order form with a list of all cards is attached.
Some favorites from last year include: (percentage shown is the amount of your purchase that goes to Sunnyside programs). Print out the attached form to make your order.
GAP/Old Navy/GAP kids (8%) $25
Macy’s (10%) $25
REI (8%) $25
Barnes and Noble/B Dalton (8%) $10
Borders/Waldenbooks (8%) $10
Itunes (3%) $25
Jamba Juice (7%) $5
Peets (8%) $20
Powells Books (8%) $10
Regal Cinemas (7%) $15
Starbucks (6%) now in $5, $10, and $25.
Baja Fresh (8%) $10
Burgerville (8%) $10
McMenamins (12%) $25
Pizzicato (8%) $10
Subway (6%) $15
Your order with a check made out to SES PTSA must be returned to the scrip table or the envelope hanging in the office by:
**Monday, December 7th for pick-up on Friday December 11th or
**Monday, December 14th for pick-up on Friday, December 18th.
Questions? Send an email to anna.goldrich@gmail.com
or stop by the scrip table to ask your friendly scrip volunteer.
Anna Goldrich
anna.goldrich@gmail.com
Craft Bazaar: The Holiday Bazaar will be on December 5, 2009 from 11-4 p.m. in the school gym.
If you would like to be a vendor, please fill out an application and return it to Marisela (info is provided in the application) or drop off in the office. Applications will also be located in the office.
All items should be handmade by the students, parents or teachers. All vendors are assigned a 5 x 7 space in the gym.
If you have any questions about selling your crafts at the Bazaar, you can e-mail Marisela @ alijahone2000@hotmail.com
I am in need of a parent or two to help me gather donations for the Raffle. Doesn't have to be anything big. Tickets for the raffle are sold on the day of the Bazaar for $5.00. All proceeds for this event is donated to Sunnyside. Contact Marisela if you could help.
Another aspect of the Holiday Craft Bazaar is the Bake Sale. We are looking for a parent or two who would like to lead this venture.
All proceeds from the bake sale go towards Marine Biology field trips.
All middle school students who help receive service hours.
Anyone interested please contact Marie Petrasy at universalroots@yahoo.com
|
Thanksgiving Care Bags:
Thanksgiving hygiene kits. Please bring in soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, small sewing kits, first aid items, etc to put together hygiene kits for the homeless in Portland. Items will be collected in classrooms.
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, families can meet at school at 4:30 PM to put together care bags to distribute at the church. SES families are invited to stay for dinner, help serve and make table decorations.
This is appropriate for all ages. Families can also bake or seek donations of baked items for the bags. Donations of dehydrated soups may also be helpful.
Tuesday of conferences:
Movie 1:30 to 3:00--Bring socks, hats, mittens for admissions. All sizes appreciated.
What to do with the cookie dough??? Consider adding nuts, raisins and other healthy things. Bake some up and bring them to school for the homeless on the day before Thanksgiving.
SES highlights from last week:
*The Cleveland Jazz Band came to play for some of the SES classses
*The one act plays premiered on Thursday and Friday evening
*The new intermediate and middle school bands met for the first time ( Tuesday for grades 3-4-5 and Thursday for grades 6-7-8)
*The fifth grade went to Wolf Haven
*A new mobile computer lab was set up for grades 3-8.
* Middle school students worked to finish their forest murals and studied NW Indian tribes
|
A note from Principal Sarah:
The ability to work quietly at home in the pursuit of academic skill and knowledge has always been an essential goal of the school. This ability to individually read, write, do art and complete projects is developed at a very young age. The ability to settle into quiet curiosity and intellectual creativity begins when we are very young. It looks different as we age but it is an essential part of what I believe is a full life. It empowers us to understand other cultures, make informed decisions and to develop our sense of creativity and reason.
Homework, at its best, develops and teaches this skill. It leads both parents and children into this space of quiet, study and creativity that is best done beyond the realm of peers and the crowded classroom. Homework, at its best, connects the school and home through conversations, projects and shared experiences. This is not to be confused with parents in power struggles over homework with their children.
To avoid these uncomfortable power struggles, the practice of quiet evening time for study needs to be set into practice when children are young. Most children leave the school at 3:00 so there are, even with an 8:00 bedtime, 5 more hours of the day for dinner, hygiene, play and family time. A quiet hour of personal intellectual pursuit is embedded in this schedule.
School is a place of cooperative learning, direct instruction, service-learning, discussions and creativity. It is a place to play with friends, take a full half hour for lunch and have PE, art and science. It is a place to develop social and interpersonal skills in an academic setting. These skills are essential.
Homework is the quiet, personal place to pursue and compliment academic work.
Many families naturally provide this space for children and some children will create this space themselves. But some families, many families, need the support of schools as they develop as parents who create the space for long term academic success.
Many of our students go home to hours of screen time and demanding after school activities. Neither of these things provide students with the necessary hour of quiet consideration of their academic and creative worlds. Teachers set this stage for all children through homework. It is the heart of equity.
It is also our job to show middle school students libraries and coffee shops where they might find that quiet.
Developmentally appropriate practice asks us to create and teach about this space at all ages and all grades. It may look different but this space must be created for all our children with equity and care.
In the new year, I will host conversations about homework; about this space and how teachers can help to develop it for all children in appropriate ways. I believe in play, cooperative learning, slow lunches, learning in the community, service and creativity. I believe in playing outside after school, decreasing screen time and yes, I believe in the connection between school and home known as homework.
Sarah
Community Happenings/Offerings (These offerings are not operated, vetted, or endorsed by SES PTSA--go to sesptsa.com for information on submission criteria):
Canvas to protect our schools: support our teachers and other school staff!
Please join us on Sunday, November 22 for the “I Love My Teacher” neighborhood walk in support of Measures 66 & 67. It’s time to protect critical services and middle class taxpayers. This January, voters can protect education at every level by voting YES on Measures 66 & 67. By voting YES to raise the corporate minimum and the tax rates on households with income above $250,000, we can preserve essential services like K – 12 education, in – home care for seniors, and the Oregon Health Plan through these tough economic times. Over 97 % of taxpayers will not see a rise in their taxes.
Details:
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 1 pm – 5 pm
Alameda Elementary--2732 NE Fremont
Family Friendly – High School students can earn community service
Please RSVP to Kathy.couch@defendoregon.org
Our Brain and Theirs--A Parenting Class with Kathy KJ--begins Wednesday November 18 for 4 sessions ($20), Room 215
Find out how understanding the brain--yours and your child's--can help you to promote mindfulness, attentiveness and emotional intelligence. Please email, kkellerj@pps.k12.or.us, or call, 971-219-6886 to let Kathy know that you will be attending, if possible. Everyone welcome.
SES Online Recycling: Hoping to further advance our recycling efforts at Sunnyside, I have started an SES Sharing Group on Yahoo which I am hoping can function a lot like www.freecycle.com. If you aren't familiar with it, you basically can either post things you no longer want and are willing to give away free to another freecycler or you can post requesting something that someone else may have and be willing to freely part with/give away. If you are already a member of Yahoo, then you can just go to this link and click on join. I think you can even if not, but you may have to sign up for Yahoo first. If you can add a note, please let me know your kids' grades and teacher names -- just to verify you are an SES family. If I don't get this information, I may have to just ask before confirming your membership. Join us and SHARE with our SES family! Save some more items from the garbage dump and potentially complete your holiday shopping list (if you celebrate with gifts)?! Visit today!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SES_Sharing/
Thanks - hope to be sharing with you soon.
Sue Lyon-Myrick
Mama to Indy (4th) & Adi (1st)
Franklin High School Performing Arts: Sunnyside families, are you wondering what sort of performing arts programs Franklin has to offer your student? Below you will find several upcoming opportunities tosee some amazing talent and learn more about what Franklin has to offer!
Drama Department Presents: "The Foreigner" in the auditorium; November 12, 13 and 14 at 7:00 pm; Saturday matinee on November 14 at 1:00 pm. Admission: $8 adults, $5 students
Fall Band Concert: Thursday, November 19th at 7:00 pm in the auditorium. Suggested donation: $2
"Franklin Sings Broadway" Friday, Nov. 20 and Sat., Nov. 21 at 8 pm and Sunday, Nov. 22 at 7 pm, in the auditorium. Admission: $10 adults, $6 students. All proceeds benefit the FHS drama department.
Choir Holiday Concert: Tuesday, December 8 at 7:00 pm in the auditorium. Suggested donation: $3
Thanksgiving Break 2 day Camp: Art Seeds Adventures has partnered with SUN School Programs to offer an affordable day camp for Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
FAIRIES, GNOMES AND GOBLINS CAMP
November 24 & 25 (Tues and Wed.)
9AM-4PM (before/after care available)
$35.00 per day plus $5.00 material fee per day
Held at: BUCKMAN ELEMENTARY SE 16th and Stark
Grades K-5
Learn about the habits, habitat, care and feeding of mysterious woodland creatures through storytelling, games and picture books and then write and illustrate your own story about them. We will create elaborate fairy & gnome houses with natural materials to bring home, make magical wands and tools for them and even see a film about fairies. There will be loads of creative fantasy fun.
INFO: contact Lisa 503-866-3028 lbauso@teleport.com
To all SES choir families: I am sad to report that because of work commitments, I will not be able to lead the SES Choir this year. I look forward to starting the choir again in the future.
Best regards,
Mary McCarty
|