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Field Trips
 
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We are looking for a newsletter editor for the 2012-2013 school year. It is a 2-3 hour commitment each quarter and can be done from home. Please contact Ms Jaffe if you are interested.
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Early Spring Newsletter March, 2012 |
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No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.
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Principal's Corner
Dear Portland Village School Community,
It is a pleasure to be back on campus and what would make it even more pleasurable would be to know that all of our students are as safe as possible. I wish to thank Molly McWaters, Rebeckah Castillo and Allison Bernat for all of their important work on improving our traffic situation during drop-off and pick-up. We have received compliments from our neighbors regarding our latest efforts to minimize congestion.
There will be a more comprehensive plan put in place after the spring break, once a team from the city of Portland has observed our current methods and provided us with feedback. Until then, please remember to do the following:
At all times, DO NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONE while driving in the parking lot.
Mornings: 8:00am - 9:00am
No parking in the lot between buildings. This is for drop-off only.
When dropping off, please let children off on the school's side of the parking lot.
If you have items to unload from your car, please either park in the north parking lot and walk in, or, if items are too heavy to carry, arrive before 8:15 so as not to impede the drive-by drop-off.
Cars must not pass each other during drop-off in the lot between buildings.
Pedestrians must cross under the portico and on the cross walk between buildings. (Do not use the sidewalk).
Park only on the south sides of the Russet, Baldwin and Farragut streets.
Cars may only drive north bound (from Lombard toward Kenton Park) on Delaware.
Do not block residential driveways (especially on side streets).
Parking is allowed on the east side (school side) of Delaware only.
Parking in the North Baldwin cul-de-sac (near the 2nd-grade classrooms) is prohibited.
Please use the Delaware/Farragut parking lot. It is the preferred parking site.
Do not park where cones or stanchions are present.
Afternoons: 2:45pm - 3:30pm
Parking is allowed in the lot between buildings - beginning at 2:45pm.
Pedestrians must cross under the portico and on the cross walk between buildings. (Do not use the sidewalk).
Park only on the south sides of the Russet, Baldwin and Farragut streets.
Cars may only drive northbound (from Lombard toward Kenton Park) on Delaware.
Do not block residential driveways (especially on side streets).
Parking is allowed on the east side (school side) of Delaware only.
Parking in the North Baldwin cul-de-sac (near the 2nd-grade classrooms) is prohibited.
Do not park where cones or stanchions are present.
Portland Village School thanks you for your cooperation and support in this matter. It truly takes all of us to keep the parking areas safe.
Sincerely, Ms. Jaffe |
From the Front Office
Would you like to sponsor this year's PVS Yearbook? The Yearbook Committee, along with 8th grader Michael Loeffler, is working hard to produce a fabulous 2012 PVS Yearbook. The yearbook is particularly important to our 8th grade class as they embark on a new journey for the next school year at the high school of their choice.
If you'd like to advertise your business in the yearbook and help cover the cost of production at the same time, let us know! For only $25.00 per entry you can list your business information and perhaps a small logo in the yearbook.
Help make our yearbook affordable for all students while promoting your business to the PVS community.
Please contact Rebeckah Castillo at [email protected] if you're interested in this opportunity! Ms. Rebeckah & Miss Cloud |
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The 2012 PVS Annual Auction is right around the corner!
Are you excited yet? We are!
It is our sixth year hosting this major event that raises critical funding to support our annual budget. As a charter school, PVS receives 20% less public funding per student, from which we must also pay expenses such as rent. Revenue from the auction helps pay teacher and staff salaries, rent, building maintenance, and much more. We're pulling out all the stops for this year's sell-out event, which will take place on Friday, April 20th, at 6:00pm at the North Star Ballroom.
Many volunteers are working hard to bring lots of exciting new fun to the event! In addition to food from the fabulous �Por Que No?, this year's event will also feature a DJ, a dessert auction, new sign-up events, a wall of wine, and lots of fun! A limited number of discounted tickets will be available to families eligible for free and reduced lunches (which can be purchased discretely through the front office) as well as a limited number of free tickets for individuals serving in specific volunteer roles the evening of the event.
We are still looking for help in several key areas:
- Getting donations from your favorite business! Ideas, tips, and forms are available on the bulletin boards near the entrances of the main and upper school buildings.
- Selling Raffle Tickets to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
- Selling Tickets - we need volunteers who can help sell tickets during drop off and pick up leading up to the event. Email [email protected] if interested.
- Help at the event - We'll be posting signup lists for the many volunteer slots we will need help with on the night of the event. Keep your eyes peeled for information and requests in the weekly digests and on the bulletin boards near the entrances of the main and upper school buildings.
Your Auction Co-chairs,
Aarin Lutzenhiser and Patty Terzian
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A new series designed to build our PVS community by getting to know our staff. Read about 8th grade teacher Tammy Wagner, 7th grade teacher Theresa Molter and 6th grade teacher Shannon McClure
Tammy Wagner
Whom do you admire? Who inspires you? So many people inspire me, but my students and my own children inspire me the most. To witness their growth and perseverance, excitement and joy of learning makes my job much more than a job, it is truly a blessing and I am grateful every day.
What led you to become a teacher? I have ALWAYS wanted to be a teacher; I majored in Education, and have been teaching in schools since 1980! I earned my master's degree before my first child was born and received my Waldorf Remedial Teacher's Certificate not long after I found Waldorf Education for my children. I have been blessed that I found a profession that I love.
What is one thing about you that surprises most people? I am pretty out going, so most people who know me are not surprised by much!!!
What are you proud of? Currently, graduating my class!! I am very proud of them and our work together. I am very proud of their kindness towards each other and their willingness to help out in so many ways for our school. I am also very proud of my son Sean's new business, Ashiyu Foot Spas in Sellwood and my daughter's attitude toward school and the world.
What do you appreciate about PVS? I appreciate that PVS exists that the founders had the vision for and commitment to this school. I appreciate the work of the first teachers and all the other faculty and staff who have come on board. I appreciate the members of the Board and their hard work and dedication to this school. I am extremely grateful to all my class parents, who have supported this school and me throughout these five years....they have been brave pioneers with me!!! I love them!!
What is the most helpful support you receive/would like to receive from the PVS community? For me, the class parents support is the most important thing for a class teacher. We take on this huge task of working with the class of children, with diverse needs and backgrounds, along with an amazing curriculum which keeps us continually striving to bring meaningful lessons. Supportive parents bring ease to this task, and ultimately a closer connection with their children. The parents have a huge, many times invisible, role in this kind of education. I believe the parents' role is more vital in this system than traditional public settings. Being together for four or more years gives us strong connections, and the need to develop deep trust. It is, to me, sacred work. It is not easy, but, as my students have heard me often say, "the end crowns the work." I dearly look forward to our culminating this sacred cycle we have been in, as my students launch into high school, and as new possibilities are opened up for me. Theresa Molter
Hometown? The Catalina foothills of Tucson, Arizona (but I was born in Philly, PA!). Currently I live in a 1908 farmhouse off SE Hawthorne with my partner, two of my best friends, and six hens (Ophelia, Agatha, Eugenie, Josephine, Mary Ann, and Pearl).
If you had a free day with no obligations, how would you spend it? I would either:
Take a day trip to one of my favorite outdoor spots near Portland (the coast, Latourell Falls, Mount Hood, Battle Ground Lake...) and go hiking, swimming, skiing...
Or, take the bus downtown and get lost in Powell's or the Portland Art Museum.
What led you to become a teacher? I have wanted to become a teacher since I was a little girl, although I harbored fantasies of becoming a rock star or a Great American Novelist off and on through my teens and college years. After college I decided I wanted to travel and lived in Japan for a year. I taught English, and it was my junior high school students in Tokushima City who helped me realize that teaching was fun and that I could be good at it! I love teaching at a Waldorf school because I get to teach using all my creativity -- including music and storytelling. What is one thing about you that surprises most people? I've never owned a car.
What do you appreciate about PVS? My students are the coolest, funniest, most interesting kids I know, and I love getting to spend time with them every day. I love getting to try new things with them, too. One of the most valuable aspects of a PVS education is all the outdoor education we do -- when I was in teaching school, I never imagined I'd get to harvest asparagus, sail on the Willamette, ride a natural water slide, or go cross-country skiing at Mazama Lodge, as a part of my job! And it's so much fun to share these experiences with this great group of kids.  Shannon McClureIf you had a free day with no obligations, how would you spend it?
At the top of Mt Hood hiking, snowshoeing, or rock climbing with my favorite person in the world: my kiddo, Sage Sol. Whom do you admire? Who inspires you?
I admire all of my colleagues who give their best to the children and parents in this school. It has been quite a journey as we have grown as a faculty, and all the teachers go above and beyond their job description to meet the needs of the students and the PVS community.
What led you to become a teacher?
I was always a teacher. At 7 years old I taught watercolor lessons to my stuffed animals in the backyard. By 12 I felt it was my after-school job to give my brother dance lessons choreographed to Milli Vanilli! Growing up on our family farm in Ohio, there were many visitors from the city that were eager to become connected to nature. I loved to teach horseback riding to kids and adults from urban areas.
What is one thing about you that surprises most people?
I run a summer art camp at PVS called Deer Fern with my friend Greg who is a teacher at Sitton. This will be our fourth summer and it will be totally righteous! www.deerfernportland.com
What are you proud of?
I am proud of being a bi-racial woman and of my cultural experiences. I feel that through this pride I am able to share my joy of cultures and social tolerance with the people in my life.
What do you appreciate about PVS?
The students!!!! The children are the heart of our school, and the center of all we do in this community. Students are thoughtful, motivated, inspired, and energized. They have the BEST energy for dance and movement, and I enjoy playing with them daily.
What is the most helpful support you receive/would like to receive from the PVS community?
The 6th grade class parents have truly become family in so many ways. I am so grateful for ALL of the love, support and wisdom offered to me and to Sage over the years by this phenomenal group of parents and grandparents. Our class community is one that honors diversity, cares deeply for the community, and puts forth every effort to support our children on their journey through development.
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Voice and Journey
A parent support group
At a Kenton block party last August over grilled hamburgers and beer, I told a few parents about a new support group I wanted to start at Portland Village School (PVS) in the fall. The feedback was so encouraging I went home that evening and drafted a flyer for Voice and Journey. This month, energized by signs of approaching spring, I created a fact sheet that provides the who, what, where, etc. of the group. Make note of the new online Voice and Journey community, created to strengthen connections and exchange resources between meetings. It's open to everyone, including those who cannot attend our bi-monthly Wednesday gatherings.
About Voice and Journey
What: Voice and Journey is a support group for parents/guardians of children who are experiencing various degrees of social, emotional and behavioral challenges, learning differences and other related issues (health concerns, life transitions, etc.). It is a drop-in group. Sharing is at the discretion of each participant; listening is equally valued. Who: The group is facilitated by Meggan McEvoy, a PVS parent who has been navigating a unique parenting journey since her son was diagnosed with a medical condition nearly 3 years ago. For more information about Voice and Journey, contact Meggan at [email protected]. When: Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday evening, 6:30 to 8 pm. Please check the Portland Village School website calendar for specific dates. Where: Voice and Journey meets in Ms. Alison Collins's second-grade classroom in the main building (lower grades) down the hall on the right. Why: Voice and Journey provides a venue for parents to express concerns about their children (socially, emotionally, academically, etc.) without fear of being judged or criticized by others. It fosters a sharing of wisdom and experience; creates meaningful community; facilitates the exchange of ideas and resources; and strengthens the capacity of PVS to meet the needs of a more diverse student body. Example topics of discussion: - Parenting methods and resources
- Behavior challenges (school and home)
- Learning differences
- Peer pressure
- Adolescent changes
- Nonviolent Communication
- Collaborative problem solving
- Special education process
- Section 504 Plans/Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
- Person-centered Ppanning
- ADHD
- Sensory Integration Disorder
- Dyslexia
Thank you to Jackie Jaffe for allowing me to start this group. Already, it has touched PVS families in meaningful ways, including my own.
Meggan McEvoy
Voice and Journey facilitator and PVS parent
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Portland Village School Mission Statement: The Portland Village School provides a developmentally appropriate, arts-integrated educational program designed to promote the growth and development of the whole child. This school fosters the intellect, nurtures the imagination, and recognizes the emotional life of each child. We strive to create a community that cultivates respect for self and for the broader community. Our aim is to inspire children to live engaged and successful lives, prepared to meet the demands of their world.
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