Cover Oregon Rep at Conferences

Mr. Nick, our counselor, has organized having a Cover Oregon representative at our Conferences on Monday. Here's his write-up from the newsletter:

 

Counselor's Corner

 

On Monday November 25, from 4:30 to 8pm, a representative from The Public Health Clinic of Columbia County will be in house to answer any questions regarding healthcare via Cover Oregon.

Cover Oregon (per the Affordable Care Act) is an online marketplace that enables Oregonians and small businesses to purchase health insurance at federally subsidized rates from home (think Expedia or Travelocity). The registration period is currently open and will close in late December as coverage begins January 1, 2014.

If you're interested or want to know more, feel free to stop by and visit Patricia Monday evening. Can't make it? Visit Cover Oregon's website at http://www.coveroregon.com/ for more information, or contact me at njenkins@sauvieislandacademy.org.

8th Grade Math Homework

Hello 8th Grade Math Families!

Just want to fill you all in on my expectations for Math homework over the break. Since we won't be in class and no new concepts can be introduced, I've put together comprehensive review packets of our most recent unit for each student. Each student has a packet tailored to their needs/level of proficiency on our work in this unit thus far. (If your student misplaces their packet, please email me and I'll send a digital version).

As this particular unit is an essential foundation for future work in Algebra, the packets are designed to reinforce these important concepts and give students even more practice time to increase/maintain success and proficiency.

All teachers have given little or no homework in other academic classes in order to focus on Math. The packets are due first thing when we return on December 2nd. Please help encourage your student's good study habits by setting aside time for them to work on Math--an equivalent of 30 minutes per day should be sufficient (especially as these concepts are practice of previously learned material and not new topics).

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

**Please note that this refers to student's in Mr. Radich's 8th Grade Math class, not online ORVED students

Conference Clarification

Hi 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Families!

We've received a few questions from some of you about upcoming Conferences (Monday and Tuesday, November 25th and 26th) and thought that others may have similar questions, so decided to put together this more detailed explanation of the upper-grades conference format. We've put it in a FAQ type format for ease of reading. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to write Aly, Brittany, or I!

*FYI, Conference location will be in gym, not in cafeteria as previously noted.

Should my student come to conferences? 

YES, we would absolutely like students to be in attendance at conferences. This gives a chance to all sit down, discuss work/progress, share successes, and most importantly goal set for the rest of the year. Student involvement and feedback in conferences is extremely valuable and an empowering process for students as they openly discuss their education and plan for the future!

What are the objectives/goals of conferences?

Our goals for conferences are to discuss student accomplishments, academic progress and skillsets, and to set goals for this year and beyond with your student's direct involvement. Choosing specific areas of focus to both celebrate and areas for improvement moving forward are important features of conferences. 

What do "drop in" conferences in the gym look like?

On Monday and Tuesday, Aly, Brittany, and I will be set up at separate small tables in the gym. When you arrive, feel free to start with any teacher who is available. That teacher will discuss your student's progress and goals for that particular class. About 10 minutes per teacher is usually sufficient (less time for teachers who only teach your student one subject, and more time for teachers who teach your student multiple subjects). Please plan on spending more time with your student's Homeroom teacher as they will be discussing your student's Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), our new report card format that you'll see in January, and Common Core State Standards. 

What do I do if all teachers are already meeting with other families?

We will have extra chairs set out in the gym away from our conference area. Please wait and then fill-in at the first open teacher. We will be working hard to stay on our 10-minute timeline with each teacher, so the wait shouldn't be long.

How much time should I budget for conferences?

If you plan to visit all core-subjects teachers, please budget about 40-50 minutes (10 minutes per core subject--Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, Math, Health/PE). 

Why are conferences "drop in" with multiple teachers at different tables instead of individually scheduled?

Due to 72 students spread out over up to 5 teachers, scheduling individual conferences to complete in two days is logistically not possible. Also, since in the upper grades each student has between 4 and 5 teachers depending on their enrichment, we feel it is important for parents and students to meet with all teachers instead of just the homeroom teacher (who may only teach your student one subject).

How private are conferences considering we're all in one room?

Based on our experience last year, we found no issues around privacy and confidentiality. The gym is large enough that conversations at one table can remain at that table. Each teacher also only meets with one family at a time.

We hope that this helps clarify any questions you may have about our conference format. Again, please don't hesitate to contact any of us with further questions.

Sincerely,

Matt, Aly, Brittany, Julia, and Shelly

Student Post: Typhoon in The Philippines

Typhoon Hits The Philippines

By Sarah H.

The Philippines, a group of over 7,100 islands, are located in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of China.  They are beautiful tropical islands near the equator, surrounded with warm blue water.  Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines on Friday and changed everything.

With wind blowing up to 170 miles per hour, and gusts that reached 235 mph, this storm caused total devastation everywhere.  The islands are flooded, and there is not a place untouched by this colossal storm.  Waves reached up to 16 feet high.  This storm of destruction that swept through the Philippines on Friday is headed to Vietnam.  It is supposed to hit sometime Monday morning.

Tacloban is a city that typhoon Haiyan hit the hardest.  It is estimated that over 10,000 people died during this storm either from drowning or by a collapsing building.  People are going to the airport at Tacloban to try to get a flight off the islands or for shelter and food.  There is hardly any food, no clean water, no electricity and hardly any shelter.  People are desperate.  Some have begun to loot, breaking into malls and supermarkets, even stealing things like video games and controllers because they could be later traded for food.

Many people are saying that it is really horrific and a great human tragedy.  It is even referred to as “worse than hell.” Relief organizations are doing their best to help, but the conditions are making it hard to get to places.  Daanbantayan, a town in the Philippines, has over 3,000 people in need of water, food and shelter.  But people can't get to them because the typhoon has made bridges collapse and roads wash away, not to mention that there is debris everywhere.  The relief organizations are doing their best to help.  The UN is gathering goods to give food to 120,000 people, but it won't be enough for everyone that needs it. The hospital in Tacloban is overflowing with the injured.  6,000 foreign and local tourists are stranded on the island Boracay, a popular tour spot and part of Haiyans course.  

Haiyan is the third category 5 typhoon to hit the Philippines in that last 3 years.  This typhoon is said to be the biggest typhoon ever recorded with the highest wind speed.  Some of the survivors that have been interviewed said that the wind sounded like the engine of a jumbo jet.  One survivor said that it sounded like a 747 was flying right over his house.  The city Bogo has had a blackout and the authorities say it will take months to restore the power.  This typhoon is 3.5 times worse than Hurricane Katrina that hit the U.S. in 2005.  People are going crazy from losing their family members or from lack of food.  How can we help the organizations that can help out these people? They need us.  The victims  are calling for help.

Student Post -- Harvest Festival Thank You

By Kiara

Thanks to everyone who went to our first annual S.I.A Harvest Festival! Hope everyone who came enjoyed it! All the students who came definitely enjoyed putting on the games and crafts! Thank you to all the parents who helped pick up pumpkins and helped set-up. Thank you P.T.C for all the help we appreciate it. 

Thank you all again, 7th grade 

Reminders for Next Week

Hi all,

Just some FYIs for next week:

-No school on Monday, Veterans Day
-Field Study for ALL groups on Wednesday--dress appropriately, it's going to be cold and rainy!
-8th Grade only Field Trip to Portland Art Museum on Thursday

Also, the end of our first quarter is approaching rapidly--please make sure that your are all up-to-date on your work and ask teachers for assistance if needed!

Have a fantastic three day weekend!

Best,
Mr. Radich

Conferences Coming in 2 Weeks

Hello Upper Grades Families!

Conferences are coming up! This year, we will be holding conferences on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26 in the cafeteria. We will be available to meet with you during the following times:

8:00-11:30 am

     Lunch Break: 11:30-12:30

12:30-4:30 pm

     Dinner Break: 4:30-6:00

6:00-8:00 pm

Like last year, all your student's teachers will be in the cafeteria for "drop-in" appointments. Due to the large number of students that are shared among five teachers, we are unable to schedule individual time slots. Please plan to conference for about 10 minutes per teacher so that we can be sure to meet with everyone. If you have further questions, or if you see a need for a longer conference, we would be happy to schedule one either before or after school at a later date.

This year, the SIA board has approved a switch from trimesters to semesters. This means that instead of getting three report cards this year, you'll get two: one in January and one in June. We will be supplementing these biannual report cards with conferences in November and again in mid-April. We are hoping that this switch helps to provide a more comprehensive picture of your student's yearly progress at SIA, but please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks!

STUDENT Post: Regarding Syria by Sarah

Student Post: Student Blog Section

Hello all, in 7th grade Homeroom we're starting a process of student bloggers. Different students will write blog posts relating to happenings at school (in any subject, not just Social Studies) or school-related events. Student posts will be added to this blog as well as posted at: http://padlet.com/wall/7thGradeSIABlog. For our inaugural post, Sarah wrote a piece about the current situation in Syria which she has been following closely with her Current Events Log from Social Studies. Please enjoy this well-written post by one of our amazing 7th graders!
Best,
Mr. Radich

What's Going On With The Syrian Refugees

By Sarah

            The conditions in which the Syrian refugees are living in are getting worse as the year goes on.  Almost one half of Syria's population is living on the roads and are in need of aid.  Over nine million people need food, water, heat and good shelter.  The society is most vulnerable right now, making the situation even worse. Many people are dying and are in need of help.

            For two years refugees have been leaving Syria because of the civil war that has broken out there.  People have been fleeing the country to protect themselves, but the refugees are dying because of the conditions that they are living in.  The refugee camps that Syria's bordering countries have set up aren't all that safe either.  Black markets have sprung up in the camps.  Housing is close together and there is only a minimum amount of food for each family.  Many different societies are helping or raising money so that they can help the refugees out.

            The conditions for the Syrian refugees is getting worse.  The end of the third year of civil war is coming to an end, but that does not mean it will stop.  The United Nations (UN) is expecting two million more Syrians to become refugees in 2014.  Getting food and supplies is also a problem.  Organizations are demanding direct access to the refugees so that they can help them better than just having a station set up where people must come in to get food, water and other things like medical aid.  Food is getting scarce.  Eating cats and dogs is now tolerable, other people are trying to eat different greens like weeds.

            The recent outbreak of polio in Syria does not make conditions any better.  The refugees are going to need medical treatment more than ever now.  People now also have to fight the risk of getting polio or if they have already got polio, trying to get well.  Their living conditions don't make it any easier to stay well and not get sick.  With new Syrian refugees coming everyday, they have the risk of bringing polio into the refugee camps.

            People need our help and they need it as soon as possible.  The United Nations is hosting a 5 billion dollar project to help bring supplies into the bordering countries of Syria and to take the supplies directly to the refugees.  The UN’s fund is only 51% funded.   The UN still needs around 2.5 billion dollars to finish the project.  You could donate money to them to help out the Syrians.  Please help.  We, the people of the world are the Syrian refugees only hope.  We must help the relief organizations.  One person alone might not make a big difference, but many people will.  A little difference is better than no change at all.

Social Studies Update: November 4-8

6th Grade: 

Presented our Global Problem and Solution Posters.

Began work on "Our World As a Village" pair-project: In this in-class project, students examine our world of 7 billion by looking at demographic trends and data as if our world were a village of only 100 people. This is a great project for students to apply the Geographic Inquiry Process as well as integrate math and science into our Social Studies Curriculum.

HW: Remember that Current Events #1 is due on Friday

 7th and 8th Grade:

We wrapped up our Early Humans and Early Civilization unit and have begun our study of Ancient Egypt and the Middle East. This unit is receiving some excellent cross-curricular attention via Ms. Brittany and her super awesome mummification and sarcophagus science projects--thanks Ms. Brittany! Students are also practicing writing and typing skills as they compose letters about our "journey down the Nile" to a friend, telling them about the accomplishments of various pharaohs from different points in Egypt's history.

HW: Current Events Log due EVERY Friday (Please make sure you're up-to-day; we'll begin our analysis papers next week!)

Math: 

We're going high-tech! Our OregonFocus book is available for iBook and I'm exploring some math apps that should provide robust support of our concepts. Looking forward to going more and more paperless as the year continues!

HW: For students who are behind, we should all be done with Lesson 18 by Friday, November 8th.

Photos From Meadowscape Field Study 1

Field Study # 1 (Meadowscaping Group) --  A Few Photos!