Gilkey International School open house
November 29, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Préau Commons on the Gilkey (French American School) campus.
See the Gilkey web site at www.faispdx.org for details.
Meet head search candidate Dec 2 at 3pm
November 26, 2008
Head Search News
The Board of Trustees will be hosting top candidates for the permanent Head of School position.
- TIS parents are invited to meet the third head of school candidate, Doug Sessions on Tuesday December 2, 2008 at 3:00 pm. Doug is from the Pacific Northwest—Vancouver, Washington—and has a unique mix of private sector and education experience. Please stop by and meet him.
- Current TIS parents can see all the candidates’ resumes on the password protected “class pages and calendars” web page at http://www.intlschool.org/parent/class-pages-calendars/. (Your room parent can provide the password in case you don’t already know it.)
- Please send your comments about all candidates to headsearchcomments@intlschool.org. Your comments are very important to the Head Search Committee and the Board of Trustees in making the decision for our permanent Head of School.
There is one other finalist and we will provide more details on that visit as arrangements are made. Thank you for your participation in this important effort.
Middle School presentations - Thurs. Dec 11, 6:30pm
November 25, 2008
Come hear about middle schools that provide advanced language options for our graduates. (None of these options are immersion, but they all provide advanced language options.)
Representatives from:
- Northwest Academy (grades 6-12), Spanish & Chinese advanced classes
- Gilkey International MIddle School (grades 6-8), Spanish & Chinese
- Portland Public Schools, Japanese, Spanish & Chinese (Mt. Tabor, East/West Sylvan, Hosford)
will be here to present their schools to interested families on Thursday, December 11 at 6:30pm in the gym. Students are welcome to attend (no childcare, sorry).
Linda Bonder
Marketing & Communications Director
LBonder@intlschool.org
503-226-2496 x104
Classified: Nanny Wanted
November 25, 2008
Our family is looking for a caring, loving person to help with our two children starting in early January. We have two boys - one 4 years and one 8 months. We have an apartment and so can accommodate either live in or live out. We live in SW Portland. The position can be either full time or possibly part time for the right person - we are considering enrolling the baby in childcare 2-5 days per week. We would need help getting the kids up in the morning and position would include after TIS pick up and care for our 4 year old who is currently in Chinese low-K.
Please contact Lisa Bordeaux at 503-422-6764 or email lisa@chezbordeaux.com if you or someone you know is interested.
Reminder: drive-through pick-up/drop-off time changes
November 24, 2008
This year we have been working hard to improve and streamline our pick-up and drop-off system as well as our before and after school care. We have made some important changes that will help us in doing this. Please take note of the changes listed below, which will take effect on December 1st.
1. Morning childcare will still start at 7:30, however between 7:30 and 7:45 am you will need to park and walk your child to the appropriate before-care room. Morning curb-side drop-off service will take place from 7:45-8:15 (previously 7:30-8:00) During this time a teacher’s assistant (TA) is available to escort your child from the car to before school care or, if it is after 8 am, to his/her classroom. This allows you to remain in your car, and helps to alleviate parking congestion. Please do not leave children at school before 7:30am.
2. Afternoon curb-side pick-up service will take place from 3:15-3:45 (previously 3:00-3:30) During this time a TA is available to escort your child from his/her classroom or the waiting room to your car. As in the past, please have on hand one of the “Drive Through Student Pick-Up Cards,” available from the front desks, to help our TAs locate your children in a timely manner.
3. After Care Room Changes. In the small modular above the playground: Room 21 will host children from all Low K classes, Room 22 will host the kindergarten classes, and Room 23 will host all students from grades 1-5 that have classes in the modulars. All students from Stearns Hall will remain in the music room for after care.
4. After 3:45 you will need to park and come inside to pick up your child. Extended Care will take place from 3:45-4:00 in Room 22 in the small modular above the playground. At 3:45 all children will be brought to room 22 for extended care with a teacher’s aid. Between 3:45 and 4:00, there will not be an assistant on hand to escort children to the cars, so please park and report directly to Room 22 for pick-up.
5. Parents who pick up their children after 4pm will continue to be charged a fee.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Maria Abad
Principal
MAbad@intlschool.org
503-226-2496 x122
Japanese Track marketing focus continues
November 24, 2008
Last school year we started a special, focused effort to build enrollment in the TIS Japanese Track. To spearhead this effort, Keiko Buckendahl started contracting for TIS as the Japanese Track marketing manager. Keiko and Linda Bonder work closely together to plan strategy and coordinate activities, then Keiko works with our Japanese Track faculty and many areas of the community in this important endeavor.
Many thanks to the staff, students & families in the Japanese Track for all their work on the various events and activities that come up!
Of course the Japanese Track is included in all TIS marketing activities. However the effort to build the track includes a continual list of focused activities. Following is an update:
1. New adviser /board member
We are trying to get a new adviser for the Japanese track to help us connect with the Japanese Community and Japanese- American businesses. We would like to grow our network within the Japanese community to help each other. Keiko has been networking and has started meetings with a Japanese community member as a possible addition to the TIS board of trustees.
2. Japan Exchange and Teaching Program Alumni Association of Portland (JETAA)
The JET Program was founded by the Japanese Government. There are 80 college graduates each year from Oregon who go to Japan to teach English at public schools. When these people return from Japan, they have a natural affinity for Japanese language and culture and move into the age of starting families. There is JET Alumni Association in Portland with which Keiko has established a relationship. They do a lot of events and keep contact with each other with newsletters. Linda wrote an article about our school in their June newsletter which they mailed out to about 300 JET Alumni in Oregon. We are advertising in their newsletter, and Keiko is working with their board on other collaborations such as letting them use TIS for their events.
3. YYS -Yuuyake Shinbun
We have been advertising regularly in YYS for two years, and Keiko and the TIS teachers have managed a program of TIS articles in YYS for the past year. This year we are publishing Japanese track student’s writing in Yuyake Shinbun, community newspaper. It started from First grade. This is a great tool to show our student’s level and growth of each grade. Many many thanks to Yuuyake Shinbum for their continued generosity and support of TIS - please pick up a copy when you get a chance.
4. Free sing and play class
Last spring Keiko organized a very well-attended Japanese music class for toddlers, which brought about 40 new families to TIS. She is relaunching this effort with more classes scheduled for Jan/February.
5. Hosting Kanji test for Portland community
On Saturday, February 7th from 11am, TIS will be hosting a Japanese government Kanji proficiency test. This is a test to check Kanji level in the Japanese grade system. We would like to help people to study Japanese in the Portland area.
6, Nikkei jin kai/ Ikoki no kai
This is a Japanese community organization in Portland that Keiko is developing a relationship with on behalf of TIS. We hope to participate in their board meeting and member meetings to share stories and information about TIS. to participate in that. We would like to talk about TIS and let them know what we do.
Keiko Buckendahl
Japanese Track Marketing Manager
Japanese@intlschool.org
503-226-2496 x305
Linda Bonder
Marketing & Communications Director
LBonder@intlschool.org
503-226-2496 x104
Stephan’s update
November 24, 2008
New drive-through drop-off and pick-up times to begin right after Thanksgiving (Dec 1)
Principal Maria Abad reminds everyone that this new schedule, which will provide improved service to parents in terms of drive-through drop-off and pick-up times, commences December 1st, immediately following the Thanksgiving Break. Drive-through drop-off will be 7:45 to 8:15 (morning childcare still starts at 7:30, but you’ll need to park & walk your child in until 7:45am). Drive-through pick-up will be from 3:15 to 3:45.
Corbett playground update
Over the course of the last two weeks, the school has been dealing with an unexpected turn of events with regard to this project. The issue concerns new requirements imposed by the City planning department. With the understanding that a building permit was in place so as to move forward with the deck construction, the school started work on the Corbett playground structure. For over two weeks now, however, the school has been working through some rather extraordinary design changes demanded by the City. The situation became very involved with re-design, re-drawing, and many meetings about the whole issue. In the end, the school will prevail with having this new deck area constructed. The delay is something that the school could not have anticipated. Again, Facilities Manager Frank Bojanowski dealt with a very challenging situation so well. Frank reports that the project should begin again in very short order as the final details are put in play.
Stairwell project
Facilities Manager Frank Bojanowski reminds everyone that the latest renovation to the Main building will take place starting in early December. The stairwells from the mezzanine level to the top floor will be brought to current code standards. Work will start with one stairwell at a time, with the other set of stairs being used for both ascending and descending until the project is completed. We will post new signs to remind everyone to open the stairwell doors SLOWLY during this time, since it’s more likely than ever that someone will be on the other side. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Parent teacher interviews
Parent-teacher interviews took place over the last day and a half of school. The faculty appreciate the opportunity to meet with so many parents. These days are important toward keeping the lines of communication open between your family and the school. If you didn’t get to meet with your child’s teacher, please contact him or her to schedule an appointment before winter break.
Happy Thanksgiving
May everyone enjoy a wonderful, peaceful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends!
Giving Thanks from the Library
November 24, 2008
Book-loving kids equal messy bookshelves! The library media center is fortunate to have four wonderful volunteers who come in every week to reshelve materials and to tidy up the shelves. Thank you Holly Korngiebel, Juliana Gellman, Katherine Kostoff and Carol Phillips.
When classes visit the library it is always great to have another adult on hand to read a story, help a student locate a book or to answer the myriad of questions asked each day. Thank you to Bobbi Wolf, Jill Thompson, Harumi Marshall, and Margaret McConnell.
The library media center relies on volunteers who cover and repair books, as well as perform other jobs for special projects. Thank you to Linda McGeady, Cindy Jones, Linda Cioffi, Heidi Fouser and Emiko Menasco.
The Library Committee is instrumental in growing the school’s newest resource. They work hard doing everything from processing books to writing grants. Thank you to Arkady Mak, Kim Braun, Elizabeth Wolf, Chris Higgins, Harumi Marshall and Heather Cyldesdale.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tamara Fornell
Librarian
library@intlschool.org
Update on Bowling
November 24, 2008
As of 11/20/08 we have 40 reservations for bowling at Hollywood Bowl on Friday, December 5th.
Everyone is responsible for their own transportation and costs at the bowling alley. You can show up as soon as you are able after school. If your are able to bowl without gutter guards, please leave those lanes for the little ones. I will put everything on my credit card, including shoe rental. People can pay me. The cost is $1.00 to rent shoes and $1.75 per game of bowling per person. They have league play at 6:00 PM and will need to clean and prepare the lanes for their leagues. We must be done by 5:30. Elementary aged kids will want to bowl no more than two games.
There is food like bowling alley pizza, fries, and other such fare at the alley if so desired.
The address for Hollywood Lanes is:
4030 NE Halsey Ave.
503-288-9237
I will have room for 5 people to ride there with me BUT I am leaving for another venue right after and can not wait for rides. I will have to leave very close to 5:30.
Robert
Robert A. Briglia
Director/Instructor Physical Education
(503) 226-2496 x257 robertb@intlschool.org
Update on Portland TrailBlazer Game
November 24, 2008
Trailblazers vs LA Clippers, 7:00 PM @ Rose Quarter.
Friday, December 12!
We have 57 people from TIS who ordered tickets! The ticket orders are
now closed. Four tickets remain unpaid for and unclaimed. Check back
to see if they are still available. I will be receiving the tickets
sometime next week, I will distribute via your child’s classroom folder.
Robert A. Briglia
Director/Instructor Physical Education
(503) 226-2496 x257
robertb@intlschool.org
