End of the "Smitherdale" Era

And then there were four -- the "Smitherdale" crew has winnowed to just Betsy, Dale, Dennis, and myself.

The Riverdale Giving Tree leaves are going fast, and it is soon to be installed in the main entry area (second floor) of the new building! There are only 94 leaves remaining for sale -- they can be purchased at Riverdale High School or from Barbara Cohen by June 30th.

Report cards are being mailed Friday and Monday. Winners of awards and promoted 8th graders will find their certificates amongst the report cards.

Look for an update from the PTC regarding next year's exciting new lunch program.

Class lists will be posted late next week, likely Thursday, down street-side on Breyman. As usual, we will have two sections of each grade level (exceptions are three at 8th next year, and one kinder am session + the extended option).

There are a number of dates to pencil in.

• Construction site tours are in development. The first, for children and parents, will be at 9:00 on Saturday June 26th.
  
• Also look forward to another kid-focused opportunity and a Bremik-hosted barbecue in late July.
  
• September 6th (the afternoon before school begins) will be a "sneak preview" of the new building.
  
• A community ping-pong tournament will be the weekend of September 19th.
  
• The Grand Opening is slated for October 6th.

There are a few staffing changes to announce. A budget-driven reduction-in-force (RIF) triggers these changes:

• Elimination of the 3-6 Spanish "special" program
• Ms. Brounstein will teach the kindergarten class (Mrs. Lamb will continue to teach the extended day portion of the day, as well as our community schools pre-school.
• Mrs. Sager will teach second grade.

Last Friday night -- after the last day of school -- the School Board considered the RIF recommendation presented by the administration after the approval of next year's budget, which called for a reduction. The meeting was well-attended, and a number of parents spoke very eloquently about their difficulty in understanding the effects of the reduction. I think it is important to take a moment to describe in short detail the thinking behind the staffing changes listed above. Primarily, our school identity is founded on two major tenets, each of which rightly drives decision making in difficult economic conditions.

• Class size is critically important to the success of our program to date, and will be a catalyst for continued growth and improvement. It allows for individualized attention and fosters the development of relationships between teacher-and-student, and between teacher-and-family. We grow class size intentionally as students get older, and as the importance of academic and social peers increases. We believe it is incumbent upon us that we protect class size, especially at the primary level. (One option for dealing with a reduction, for instance, is to hold a single section where class size is otherwise especially small.We rejected this idea as it represents short-term thinking, and impinges our potential for intentional and appropriate growth.)
  
• Integrated Arts Curriculum -- we have what almost no public school is able to offer students at the k-8 level, a fully integrated arts curriculum. And, while it is impossible to entirely separate whether we are successful as a result of this arrangement, or whether we are fortunate to be able to offer it as a result of our successes, we believe it would be a mistake to begin carving into our most developed arts and support programs even when other districts do so. We determined that the 3-6 Spanish special was the least critical of these programs and made the difficult decision to cut it in lieu of other support programs or much larger class size.

The RIF conundrum was excruciatingly difficult, and I appreciate that our recommendations to the Board left some feeling unheard. Ultimately, I ask that you continue to place your trust in our school. We certainly have a lot of growth to do, and I am ready for the challenges inherent in that process.

Anyone who has had the pleasure to walk the grounds of the new building is bound to understand we will be moving into a world-class facility. Our challenge is to ensure that our program fits that bill as well. I am invigorated by the prospect of the work we have ahead of us -- teaching our children not only to be deep and critical thinkers, but also to be contributing citizens, and, most important of all, good and kind people.

On behalf of your faculty, I wish you all a restorative, adventure-filled summer.

Horse @ Smith

Principal Newsletter -- October 9, 2009

Just a few notes this time around.

I'd like to introduce the newest member(s) of the Riverdale Grade School family!

Evan Charuhas was born early on Monday morning. In the picture he's holding up four fingers -- perhaps for the four more years until he's in kindergarten here? Karen Roney will be replacing Leslie whilst she is otherwise occupied. She has a wealth of pe experience and comes highly recommended. We couldn't be happier to have found her!


Conferences are coming, next Thursday and Friday.

Parent-teacher conferences are a great way to connect and discuss your child's learning. However, our format at grades 5-8 does not lend itself to long and meaningful conversations. Please help us by limiting conversations with any one particular teacher to less than ten minutes. This can be difficult to remember, but, at the end of the day, when one conversation goes over time, another parent is frustrated with less teacher contact time. Any serious concerns requiring more in-depth focus should take place in a separately scheduled meeting.


Update on Air Quality

Portland Public Schools performed air quality testing in and around the classrooms in which we found mold enclosed in walls. The mold was removed safely and disposed of by an abatement contractor. The testing results demonstrate that -- both before and after the abatement -- the air quality inside the school was superior to that outside. Obviously, this was a huge relief to us. We will continue to verify that mold is not in the walls, following the same procedures. Simultaneously, the root cause of this issue -- a failing (flat) roof -- will be fixed by PPS-hired contractors. You will not see drywall and insulation go up prior to the effective remediation of the roof problem. I really appreciate the trust families put in our dedication to maintaining a safe learning environment.

Upcoming events:

Monday

4:00 PM GS 6/7/8 Gr. Girls' VB (home) vs Rivergate
6:00 PM School Board Regular Meeting, HS Library
7:00 PM GS Div II Boy's Soccer (away) v Forest Hills Lutheran

Tuesday
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM GS Picture Retakes
3:30 PM GS Girls' Soccer (away) v OES Blue
4:15 PM GS Div I Boy's Soccer (home) v Portland Adventist

Wednesday
8:45 AM - 12:30 PM GS - Kinder FT - Sauvie Island Pumpkin Patch
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM GS - 3rd Gr. FT - Hoyt Arboretum
4:15 PM GS Div II Boy's Soccer game (home) v OES

Thursday
No School -- Conferences
4:00 PM GS - 6/7/8 Girls VB vs. Rivergate @ Home
4:15 PM GS Div I Boy's Soccer (away) v Corbett
5:15 PM GS 6/7/8 Gr. Girls' VB (away) vs Good Shepherd

Friday
No School -- Conferences

Principal Newsletter -- September 11, 2009

I remember very clearly this day eight years ago. One of my colleagues' father was on board one of the planes, and my school was absolutely devastated, as was the country. Seeing the flags at half staff today is a stark reminder of how grateful we are to be working and learning where we are.


Busing

We're almost there. Thank you for the tremendous amount of patience you've granted us.

We have a change to announce that will remove the pressure from our most impacted buses. Beginning Tuesday the 15th we will be adding a fifth bus: #80. It will start at 11505 SW Breyman, relieve the largest stop from bus #81 -- Aventine Circus -- and finish with the RHS stop. On Monday we will attempt to personally reach anyone affected by these particular changes. Additionally, some final tweaks in the chronology of the routes will be posted simultaneously. When they are up on Monday I will send out another email with a link.


Back to School Night

On Tuesday night we would like to welcome all parents to join the faculty at Smith for our Back to School programs. As usual, we will separate the k-4 and 5-8 programs to allow for families with siblings in different levels to attend both. (Unfortunately, if you have two students within one of the ranges, "divide-and-conquer" is the best option.) One aspect of this year's event that will differ from years past is that we will not be inviting all parents into the gym for a brief introduction to the year. Our gym is smaller and won't accommodate such a large audience. Additionally, because of parking restraints, we are hopeful that avoiding the overlap will ameliorate neighborhood concerns about our impact.

Some reminders:

• Primary (K-4) Programs -- 6:30-7:10
• Upper (5-8) Programs -- 7:20-8:00
• Children are not invited to Back to School Night
• Nancy Helmsworth and Molly Scholz have easily locatable classrooms this year, on the main hall. They will be in their rooms. Other specialists will be in the library area, between about 7:00-7:30.
  
• These programs are informational in nature, and not designed to be conference opportunities.
• Please remember to stop at the Foundation booth, which will be set up in the entry! Normally, we would invite Foundation President Steve Klein to speak with parents. The Foundation is a critical partner in our mission to provide the best possible education to our kids.

Sally Foster & SCRIP

The Sally Foster purchasing window is upon us -- September 9-25th! Please support our incredible PTC by purchasing wrapping paper. You can never have too much, and delivery will be nice and early -- October 20th.

SCRIP is another incredible way to help the PTCs of both schools. Look out for information about SCRIP as well.


Dress Code

We only have a few weeks of nice weather left, but during that time please help us by reminding students of our dress code.


Parent Internet Safety Night

Increasingly, parents are looking for help in understanding and dealing with the challenges posed by more and more ubiquitous access to the Internet. This program is designed for parents of students in grades 5-12. We will be sharing best practices, discussing the role of schools, and informing parents about children and two of the most critical platforms: social networking and gaming. Tuesday evening, September 22nd, 7-8 pm (Riverdale High School, Maverick Room).



Upcoming events:

Monday
4:15 PM GS Girls' Preseason Soccer (away) v Catlin Gabel
6:00 PM School Board Meeting @ RHS library

Tuesday
6:30 PM Back to School Night for K-4 parents
7:15 PM Back to School Night for 5-8 parents

Wednesday
4:15 PM GS Div I Boy's Preseason Soccer (away) v Horizon Christian

Thursday
4:00 PM GS 6/7/8 Gr. Girls' VB (away) vs Portland Waldorf
4:15 PM GS Div II Boy's Preseason Soccer (home) v Gilkey

Friday

Principal Newsletter -- September 4, 2009

What a week.

To say this past week was a whirlwind is the understatement of the year. Thank you for all of your support and understanding as we got up and running. We had a great week, and hope you did as well. The rest of this post reads like a recipe for no fun at all (swine flu, politics, bus and parking issues...) but I assure you, we are having a great time here! All summer long the logistics of moving kept me occupied, but there is nothing like 322 eager faces to make one focus on what is important. That being said, here are some more logistical notes.


Ice Cream, You Scream...

The PTC Ice Cream Social was an unbelievable success last night! Thanks go to the parents who organized the event and served ice cream to the HUNDREDS who attended. The kids seemed to have a great time, and, for those Duck fans in the crowd, missing the first half was a blessing in disguise.


Busing

Every time I write "busing" it drives me crazy that it's not spelled with two s's. For that matter, every time the buses are late, I lose a bit more hair. This has been the one area in which we've experienced the most glitches. To a degree, it's understandable, given that our routes have changed, the school moved, and our ridership doubled. Nonetheless, a number of wrinkles are now being smoothed. Some highlights:

• Updated bus routes -- click here to see the latest iteration of the bus routes, adjusting a few stops (if you don't already know about an adjustment, you won't be surprised here) and most of the times by a few minutes.
• Late buses -- we expected a degree of disequilibrium around the time schedule, but, frankly, not this much. A number of factors contributed to the delays, but they should taper and disappear by next week. The bus company has also adjusted some of the pick-up and drop times to make transitioning into first period classes go more smoothly.
• Upperclassmen monitoring the front -- beginning today I started talking to older students who are interested in sitting up front with younger students to help ensure they feel comfortable and are safe. Please encourage your middle school student to volunteer for this important role; parents of our younger students will thank you!
• Students should ride one bus on a regular basis. It is too difficult for us to otherwise keep track. If plans change, or a students needs to ride a different bus home or to a friend's house, they should bring a not to that effect for the teacher and bus driver.
  

Drop-Off

Please help us keep students safe by dropping them at school no earlier than 8:30. We simply do not have the capacity to supervise them any earlier. Teachers need that time to prepare for the day and there is no location suitable to keep them dry and warm once the weather starts.


Presidential Address

On Tuesday President Obama will be delivering an address directed at students, much like President H.W. Bush did in 1991, aimed at diminishing the drop-out rate and promoting the importance of education. The country is clearly polarized around a great number of political issues. There are great arguments for why we ought to have kids watch the speech, and also very strong arguments against. I am quite certain that, in either case, many parents will be disappointed with the position we take. After speaking with our faculty, and considering options, we will not be showing the speech live here at school. It will be so widely available online that children and families who wish to view the speech will have full access from home. Additionally, logistical issues with our wireless network here make it nearly impossible to have all children watch the speech live. I understand that some in our community may be frustrated that we are avoiding a "teachable moment" in taking this course, or -- worse -- implicitly sending a message about avoiding important discourse. And, these are both very valid concerns; I share them. However, because of the combination of network viability here, the disruption to our schedule, and the ubiquity of access from home, I am comfortable with this course.


H1N1

This week we distributed materials from DHS with information about our responses to the likelihood of a pandemic. I'll link the pdf here as well. Below are some basics that should help us be proactive in our approach to mitigating the issue.

• Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. Covering up their coughs or sneezes using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable.
• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.
• Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing medications. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected. Please do not give aspirin to a child with influenza symptoms, it may cause a rare, but serious condition called Reye’s Syndrome.
• Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home.
• If you call into the school to report that your child is ill, please tell the school staff what symptoms your child is experiencing.

Parking

We had an incredible turnout for the Ice Cream Social. The spillover effect was that, for the first time, we impacted the Ash Creek neighborhood in a negative way. I received a number of complaints about illegal parking on neighborhood streets, and it raises my level of concern, knowing that Back to School Night is coming soon (September 15th).There's not much to be done about the number of vehicles we bring for such a large event, but it would help us (and my inbox) enormously if we adhere to posted parking signs and remained clear of driveways. Thank you for your help with this.


Finally, congratulations to the staff, students, and families of Riverdale High School for their incredible academic accomplishments -- truly, the best high school in the state!




Upcoming events:

Monday
no school -- Labor Day

Tuesday
first day of school for kinders

Wednesday
Picture Day
PTC General Meeting (9:45 in cafeteria *note time change from original calendar*)
Sally Foster Assembly 2:00-2:25

Thursday
Summer Readers Ice Cream Party (in library, K-4 lunch recess)
girls volleyball home vs. Crossroads (4:00)

Friday

Wonderful Day One

Principal Newsletter -- August 28, 2009

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to opening week of the best show this side of I-5! Our three ring circus is nearly ready.

In the first tent -- the primary pod -- K-2 teachers busied themselves this last week putting name-cards on tables and prettying the place up. The five classrooms in this area, as well as the computer lab and resource room, surround the library.

In the second tent -- on the long hall -- each locker is adorned with the name of a 5-8 student, and the coat-hooks await our 3rd and 4th graders. Art and k-4 music are also located along this hall.

In the final tent, churning out registration paperwork like cotton candy, Betsy, Karen and I are ready to help anybody with just about anything. The place looks great, especially relative to a few weeks ago. (Tammy Sutter took it upon herself to adorn our front entrance with flower containers.)


What follows is a bit of last-minute logistical information.


Buses

• Bus routes are posted on the web here.
• Here in the office we do not know which bus your child is taking, or which stop on that route is most appropriate. In previous years we have known this information, but because the routes changed this year we do not. Our most critical role this week -- in terms of student safety -- is to compile an accurate list. We have two methods for tracking this information. One will take place here at school; the other is home-based. When children exit the bus they will be given a colored sticker, which will be handed to the teacher. It will be very helpful if you will also email Betsy with the route and stop information for your child, regardless of whether they ride during the first few days. (We anticipate that some families with younger kids will want to drive for the first few days. The neighborhood association folks know this and absolutely understand we will have more of an impact in the first week or so of school.

• The activity bus will leave Smith at 5:15 to accommodate our athletic teams. This is a change (from 5:00) and is reflected on the route schedule here.

Driving to Smith

The simple version of the parent driving directions are:

In:
Terwilliger across I-5
Left on Barbur
Veer Right on Taylor's Ferry
Right on 50th
Left on Marigold
Left on 52nd

(Now you'll be in "The Drop Zone." Pull all the way forward, up to the last sign, and unload your car. Airport rules apply here. If you'd like to stop and get out of the vehicle, please pull much farther forward.)

Out:
Left on Orchid (first left)
Left on 45th (at the T)
Right on Multnomah.


H1N1

We are very much aware of the potential this fall for global concerns around what has been termed "swine flu." In the coming weeks we will be issuing a series of reminders -- around the importance of hand-washing, making decisions about staying home vs. coming to school -- in order to keep our community informed and healthy. At school, our emphasis will be on healthy living habits most directly, especially for younger children.

I'd like to close by issuing a simple note of thanks to the faculty and support staff. It is no exaggeration to say that everybody pitched in to get us to this point, and the pride I feel around the amount of work they accomplished in a short period of time is unsurpassed in my experience. This group of professionals is truly exceptional, the best I've had the privilege to know.

Here we go! This is a grand adventure, and we're all feeling grateful that your children will be here soon to share it with us.

Smith Walk-Through This Friday

This Friday, from 11-3, students and parents are cordially invited for a walk-through self-guided tour of Smith Elementary, our temporary home.

Come find your classroom, play on the playground, and run into friends you have not seen all summer!

It is important to note that, while we are working to make the school come alive for our first day, it is very much a work in progress right now.

The address is 8935 SW 52nd Ave.

From the neighborhood and Terwilliger:

1. Turn Left on Barbur
2. Veer Right on Taylor's Ferry (just before South-bound I-5 on-ramp)
3. Turn Right on 50th Ave.
4. Turn Left on Marigold
5. Turn Left on 52nd Ave.

(Our drop-off location will be exactly where parents turn left from Marigold onto 52nd, allowing for a right-hand side drop-off.)


View Larger Map

Principal's Newsletter August 11, 2009

It's five o'clock on Tuesday and Betsy and I just spent the day beginning the unpacking process at Smith Elementary. We are thrilled to be as ready as we are. Surely, there will be glitches along the way, but we feel very confident about the state of Smith and the prospects for a dynamic year.

It's time to share a whole bunch of information with our students and parents about the logistics of starting up for our transitional year.


We have a new fourth grade teacher, Tod Johnston. In the last week we completed an interview process that saw 340+ applicants, a screening process, and three rounds of interviews. I would like to thank Betsy Biss, Sharon Whitehill, and Brian Black for donating their time to the cause. Sharon, in particular, had a vested interest in finding a teaching partner for the year -- they will be sharing a classroom. As well, Nicole Grayson and Lisa Handley provided a parent perspective to our process; their contribution was invaluable.

In the end, Tod's experience and his professional skill-set proved a very strong fit for our community. I'll list a few highlights:

He grew up in Lake Oswego and so attended high school with many Riverdale kids, this being prior to the development of RHS. Tod studied environmental studies at Stanford University, and then earned his Master's degree at UC Santa Cruz. (So he's either a tree/color or a banana slug -- admittedly, mascots may not be the strongest part of his resume.) Tod and his future wife began their teaching careers in China, teaching in two different international schools, including two years in fourth grade. More recently, Tod's been teaching in Northern California as a science specialist and a GATE (TAG) coordinator. They've just relocated to the Portland area to be closer to family, and, in related news, are celebrating the one-month anniversary of their first child. We are ecstatic to be welcoming Tod to the Riverdale team!

Bus routes are posted on the school website. Follow this link to see the routes. Please pay particular attention to the fact that, because we added a bus line, the route designation numbers do not necessarily correspond with previous route numbers.

In reviewing responses to the transportation survey we learned that folks are overwhelmingly interested in taking the bus, with carpooling coming up as the second-most favored option. This is good news as we have an obligation to the Ash Creek Neighborhood Association to limit traffic impact. I recently met with that group, and their response to our presence was especially gracious and warm. Their interests are to see the school live again, to have the school grounds cared for in a responsible way, and to continue to use the playground and fields when they are not occupied by our students. Ours is simple: we need a safe place for our kids to learn and play for a year. Overall, I think it is a partnership that will benefit both their community and ours. I want to be diligent in my efforts to maintain that relationship, and so may be asking for your help throughout the year in terms of complying with our transportation plan.

The Smith address is 8935 SW 52nd Ave. A Google Maps search shows the neighborhood quite well. The routes designated by PDOT for our conditional use permit are these:

• Parents will enter via Taylor's Ferry, turning right on 5oth Ave., Left on Marigold, and Left on 52nd Ave. (This makes a loop, ensuring a right-hand-side drop-off.)
• Buses will enter from Garden Home, turning Left on 52nd.
• All vehicles will exit the neighborhood by turning left from 52nd onto Orchid; Orchid ends at 45th, and a Left at the T takes you to the intersection with Multnomah.

In addition, an activities bus (or more likely, two) will leave RGS at 5:00 for the neighborhood, carrying students practicing a sport or attending a Community Schools class or Extended Care.

Extended Care will take place in both the am and pm, going until 6:00 pm.

Jazz Band will take place at RHS, which will then be a bus stop for those kids in the morning. It is probable that the same will be true for Community Schools Chinese classes.

First Student is amenable to providing a bus to the MAC after school, on a separate fee basis. The roughly estimated cost for this would be $60/day, which would be split amongst interested families.

Volleyball practice for middle school girls will be held at Smith, as will home games. The girls will be able to take the activities bus home.

Boys' and girls' soccer practices will be held at Smith after school. The games, as well as most RHS games, will be held at the Grade School field, enough of which has been preserved to allow for a field. It goes without saying that parking will be a major concern, and we are asking that all involved do everything possible to ameliorate parking and safety issues. Students will be bused to the Breyman site. Please carpool or walk, if at all possible.


Students and families are welcome to drop by the school for a "sneak preview" on Friday, August 21, from 11:00-3:00. This is intended to be a simple walk-through. It is important to note that the school will not yet be ready for operations. (Teachers will not yet have been contracted to come in.) Nonetheless, we believe this opportunity will allow many students to feel more settled about what the year holds.

We are aware that many families have difficulty attending day-time events like these due to work commitments, but cannot hold an evening event of this magnitude per the stipulations of our conditional use permit. Each classroom will be planning an orientation for the first days of school, with many of the same goals in mind -- making students feel comfortable and safe being paramount.


We experienced a glitch in our "7-8 elective" email. I owe an apology to those 7-8 families whose email bounced back to us in our initial request for elective choices. We are uncertain as to why somewhere on the order of 20 email addresses kicked back to us when we sent out this email; it does not appear to be a data-entry error. Nonetheless, the result was that some folks understandably felt slighted. We tracked each of these emails, though, and will assign electives based upon an appropriately modified order.


PTC generously ordered planners for grades 4-8. These items appear on supply lists but have already been ordered. Thank you PTC!


If you get a chance, these folks deserve a "thank you." This summer has been, and continues to be, the summer of logistics. A few notable individuals are responsible for the amazingly coherent state of our school.

• Betsy Biss -- her patience and organizational skills kept us in shape through two intense moves.
• Dennis Wiley -- knows Smith inside and out by now, and has taken charge of the organization of the on-site logistics.
• Steve Montague -- he's worked with teachers to ready each room, moving furniture and thoughtfully planning each space.
• Kathy Jacobsen -- Kathy works "four tens" during the summer, except that this summer she's worked "five elevens."
• Riverdale High School -- they patiently housed us in our holding pattern, and have selflessly helped us with custodial set-up at Smith.
• Dale Petersen -- we knew he knows technology, but that's been only the tip of the iceberg for Dale this summer.
  

Principal Newsletter -- July 15, 2009

In the time since my last newsletter, shortly after the end of the academic year, more has happened than I would have thought imaginable. Those of you with roots in this community must have deeply conflicted feelings about the tear-down of our school. Clearly, while I was developing parallel plans for the 2009-2010 school year, we now know for certain that we will be housed at Smith Elementary School in Portland next year.

The purpose of this notice is to share with you updated information on a number of topics related to our year-long adventure.

Transportation

Attached to the email I used to link to this post is a "Transportation Survey" that I would be obliged if you returned rather soon. Portions of the survey I will relate again here. Two areas of focus are paramount: bus plans and sensitivity to the Ash Creek neighborhood.

Driving Directions

We are conscious of the impact our presence will have on the Ash Creek neighborhood and have developed plans accordingly. In fact, in our Conditional Use Permit for the use of the Smith facility, we pledged to increase both bus ridership and carpool participation. Additionally, that document dictates particular routes for school buses and carpool vehicles (separate routes, with different entrance and egress for each).

• School buses will enter the neighborhood via Garden Home Drive, turning left on SW 52nd Ave., ensuring a school-side drop for students. They will exit via a left-hand turn on SW Orchid Street toward SW 45th Drive.

• If you drive a carpool of children to or from the school, the following route is important to note: (from Taylor's Ferry) Right on SW 50th Avenue, Left on SW Marigold Street, Left on SW 50th Avenue -- again, ensuring a school-side drop-off -- and exiting via a left-hand turn on SW Orchid Street toward SW 45th Drive.

• There are two clear routes to Taylor's Ferry. One, more direct, may also experience more traffic. That is to turn left on Barbur from Terwilliger, and a slight right on Taylor's Ferry. The other is slightly more complex, but will likely save time. It is to turn left onto Taylor's Ferry before the freeway, right on SW 19th Avenue, left on Barbur, right on Multnomah Blvd., right on Taylor's Ferry.
  

I hope these details give you a more clear sense of the best routes into and leaving our temporary home. We are committed to have a low impact on our hosts' neighborhood, and I appreciate your help abiding with the agreements we've entered.

Busing

The other area of focus in relation to our temporary transition to Smith is that of ensuring the well-being, safety, and security of our students. In order to minimize the impact of the distance our students will be traveling we have taken a number of measures which I will outline here.

• Added Bus -- We have moved from three buses to four in order to shorten the ride times.
• Consolidated Stops -- We have consolidated some stops (similar to "snow routes") also in order to minimize ride times.
• The longest bus ride will -- as a result of these two measures -- be shorter than the longest ride during the 2008-2009 school year.
• Hitcher Clause -- Students arriving from outside the neighborhood may be dropped at one of three larger (in terms of pull-out space) bus stops in order to catch a ride to Smith.
• Specific bus route narratives will be posted on the District website in early August once they have been finalized. Drafts are in-hand now.

Teaching Position

The posting for the 4th grade position closed on Monday, with 340 applicants! A sign of the times for certain, the turnout for the posting is encouraging in that we have an excellent field of candidates from which to choose. Priorities in the search are many, but ultimately we are seeking the somewhat nebulous "fit" for our school. Experience, communication skill, and content knowledge are among the most important factors. Interviews will take place in the late part of July and early weeks of August, with a panel composed of parents, teachers, and myself.


Configuration Plans -- Smith

The opportunity Smith Elementary provides us is remarkable. That we will be able to carry on our program with a minimum of alterations in a true school facility while the building is constructed, rather than guide children around a complicated and potentially dangerous construction site, is especially fortuitous. That being said, there are some configuration challenges posed by a facility that -- while built for more students than we bring -- was not designed to accommodate them in such small class sizes. Namely, our kindergarten model looks slightly different than it has in recent years (all students arrive in the morning, 1/2 day students then leave at midday) and third and fourth grade classrooms will be co-taught (two teachers in one classroom with approximately 28 students).

In the Spring, I communicated personally with most parents of rising third and fourth graders to share the early development of these plans. Some of those plans were clouded by the added consideration given to the uncertainty of where we would be in 2009-2010 and what the staffing level would be. Now that both of these questions have been answered (for the positive) we can more clearly delineate plans. I am developing a Frequently Asked Question page related to the decision-making process and the model itself in these grade levels; it will be the subject of my next newsletter. I am also keen to meet with parents of students in third and fourth grade to reassure you that the year will be a success, that the teachers involved are excited by the prospect of a unique year in their practice, and that we will ensure our students' success.


Smith Orientation

Plans are in the works for an opportunity for folks and children to see their temporary home. As school begins on August 31 this year, we will incorporate an opportunity to walk the halls into the process of unpacking boxes and moving into our spaces -- a volunteer day at Smith in late August. (By the way, please take note that the PTC New Families Picnic will be held on Sunday, August 23rd!) My suggestion is that you take an opportunity somewhere down the line this summer to drive the route and play on the equipment over at Smith.


I hope that everyone is having a fantastic summer, and that, as we approach a new school year, our focus can remain on providing our children with the finest possible educational experience.

Best Regards,

jeremiah

Three Updates

The first week of summer was anything but low-key. Sixteen truckloads of pencils, paper, desks, and chairs made their way to Smith Elementary School. I'd like to give a great big "Thank You!" to all those who came to help! The school is now absolutely empty, save for materials staged in our gym for the year. The photo is of the gym at Smith, loaded for next year. I hope it gives some sense of the scale. Along the way we were able to recycle an entire construction container of material, as well as donate a great deal of school supplies left behind by children to a worthy cause.

Let me share three related updates with you.

First, my apologies for not posting class lists on Friday. They will be posted on Monday around noon on a bulletin board, street-side rather than on the front doors as is usual. The reason for waiting until Monday is that we have a change in personnel to announce -- this is the second update. The reason we'll not be posting on the front doors has to do with the abatement process, which also begins on Monday; abatement details are the third piece of news.

At a special session of the School Board, Superintendent Hoagland proposed that we post the 4th grade position recently vacated by Mira Peterson. This is a reversal of the original recommendation made by the budget committee, which was prudently based on to-date financial considerations and enrollment. Recently, with increased interest in the Grade School, we recommended that we add back the position; the Board unanimously agreed! I will update soon, in my next newsletter, about the process we will undertake to fill that position.

The central purpose for Saturday's special session was to discuss the Conditional Use hearing of the 15th and its implications for the ongoing Grade School process. In short, the plan is to move forward. We are prepared for abatement to begin on Monday the 22nd, on schedule. There are strict DEQ requirements around the abatement process and the district has contracted a specialty firm to undertake it. The first phase, which begins Monday, is concerned with the removal of asbestos glue underneath layers of carpet below the carpet you see now in the main building. The site will be totally contained and will be absolutely safe for neighbors. Those familiar with the abatement process may know that there is often a smell associated with the chemicals used in removal, but that they are approved treatment chemicals and the odor, if it exists, poses no danger to the passerby. In our case, the abatement contractor will not be using these chemicals, in any case. You will not see the entire campus fenced until such time as is necessary from a safety standpoint. That is to say, the building will be totally inaccessible, but the rest of the campus will not.

Nonetheless, we urge folks to discourage children from playing on the basketball hoops or playground for the time being. In a similar vein, we will post the class lists away from the doors.

I'd like to reiterate that the abatement process being undertaken at the Grade School is extremely minor relative to many other projects concerning buildings of a similar age, and that we consider the precautions being taken to be on the conservative side, knowing that it is a place for children and that we wish to be the best neighbors we can be.

I will continue to update with details as they make themselves apparent, on all of these fronts. Please don't hesitate to call with any questions. For the summer, Betsy and I are set up at Riverdale High School. Beginning Tuesday, our phone number should ring there, and mail will be forwarded.

As always, my best.

Jeremiah