12-14-09
12/16 - 2 hour late start
12/21 - 1/01 - Winter Break
SELLWOOD T-SHIRT AND SWEATSHIRT ORDER FORM
Order forms for the Sellwood t-shirt and sweatshirt will be going home with the students this week. The form is also available on the website at sellwoodmiddleschool.org.
AVAILABLE H1N1 SHOTS
Sellwood Medical Clinic has H1N1 vaccinations available for approximately $12. They are located at 8332 SE 13th Ave. If you are interested, please call 503-595-9300 to make an appointment.
WRAPPING PAPER NEEDED FOR HOLIDAY GIVING PROJECT
We could use wrapping paper donations to wrap the gifts going to our adopted families this year. Please drop it off with Lisa Hyde at the school by Wednesday, December 16. We also still need gift donations for many of our families. If you are interested in giving, please contact your child's homeroom teacher or ask your child to bring-home a tag with a wish on it. Another excellent way to contribute is cash donations -- we are hoping to provide money for food and other basic household needs. Thank you!
SELLWOOD PRINCIPAL SELECTION IS UNDER WAY
Portland Public Schools is in the process of hiring a new principal for Sellwood's next school year. The process started with its Community Meeting held during Sellwood's December 1 PTA meeting. The next step in the process is collecting results from the Community Survey. This part of the process requires your input as parents and students of Sellwood. Please go to the Sellwood Website: http://sellwoodmiddleschool.org/node/2029 and take the time to fill out and send PPS your opinions on the Survey. PPS is also looking for parent volunteers to serve on the interview panel and you can apply for this honor by going to: http://sellwoodmiddleschool.org/node/2031 and download the fillable PDF application.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE SALE BENEFITS CHS BASEBALL
Show your support for CHS athletics - buy your tree from the CHS Baseball Team. Beautiful Noble firs will be available in sizes from table top through 9 feet tall at the Cleveland Community Field. Players of the Cleveland Baseball team will be staffing the lot at SE 32nd and Powell daily, selling and loading trees, and possibly singing Christmas carols for their team fundraiser. You're invited to come pick out your special Tannenbaum and share some holiday cheer while supporting Warrior baseball!
Tree Lot Dates and Hours:
Now through Sunday 12/18
Monday-Friday: 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sundays: Noon - 8:00 p.m.
Profits raised through tree sales will benefit the Spring Tournament Scholarship Fund for CHS baseball. For more information contact Greg Holly at gh@acmegd.com or 503-888-8940 or text your favorite Warrior baseball player.
AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR TREE . . .
CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING 1/2 AND 1/9 BENEFITS CHS LACROSSE
Support CHS Women's and Men's Lacrosse by recycling your Christmas tree. Take your tree to the CHS field on either Saturday 1/2 or Saturday 1/9, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The cost is $5 per tree and all proceeds will support the club lacrosse programs at CHS. If you have questions or are interested in having your tree picked up, please contact Karen Miller at rcpmiller@msn.com or 503-288-8850.
ATTENTION PARENTS OF 8TH GRADE SPANISH STUDENTS
There are still spots available for this summer's Costa Rica trip! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to practice their Spanish and to be exceptionally well-prepared for HONORS Spanish 3/4 in high school. The trip includes a homestay experience with a Costa Rican family, many outdoor adventures, and chances for students to learn and practice their Spanish. Please contact Susan Douglas (sdouglass@pps.k12.or.us) or Owen Dailey (eivas@comcast.com) with any questions.
FOUND CHARM BRACELET
A charm bracelet was found around conference time. It's beautiful! If you are missing one, please stop by the office and take a look.
INFORMATION ON THE PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS HIGH SCHOOL REDESIGN FROM THE PTA
The PTA encourages parents to get acquainted with the Portland Public Schools redesign plans for our high schools. For a quick overview of what PPS is pushing forward please go to the great summary written in Thursday's Oregonian at: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/12/portland_pushing_bi... As the Oregonian clearly stated:
"Each school will have new elements that it hasn't had before -- a smaller student-to- counselor ratio (400:1 lowered to 300:1), five career pathway electives and online courses. That said, it is possible that a school could end up with fewer offerings in some areas than it has today, especially as enrollment shifts to be more comparable across all campuses. Fewer students means fewer teachers and less variety among courses. Schools will still have some discretion as to how they create their course offerings and schedules."
Some highlights of the proposed high school redesign include a consistent curriculum and educational opportunities through out the high school system, the closure and consolidation of some high schools, the change in the transfer system to eliminate transfers within neighborhood schools, limiting the student population at each high school and adding a certain number of small, "focus" high schools.
Cleveland Cluster of PTA's, including Sellwood's PTA signed a letter of our basic concerns and delivered the list to PPS at the December 8th informational meeting at Cleveland. To date, Portland Public Schools has not answered many questions posed by the PTA organizations. These questions are posted on the PTA section of the Sellwood website.
How can you get involved? You can join a mailing list for up to date information on the PPS Redesign, by sending an email to: neighborhoodschools+subscribe@googlegroups.com.
You can also attend one of the two remaining community meetings about the high school redesign at 6:30 p.m on either Tuesday, Dec. 15 -- Madison High School or Thursday, Dec. 17 - Franklin High School.
If you would like to submit an article for the newsletter, contact Ann Pinzelik, Sellwood Secretary at: apinzeli@pps.k12.or.us