Markham School
School News & Announcements
MAY
Kindergarten Questions?
Call 503-916-5681
Sharing with Shawn
MCCA room at 9:00 AM on:
1/18, 2/15, 3/15, 4/19, and 5/17.
TAG 101 meeting Information on Resource Page
Parent Roadmaps to the Common Core Standards
A Message from the Principal
May 3, 2013
Dear Markham Families,
Welcome to the month of May! Markham continues to blossom along with the season.
Family Math Night was a success. We had over 192 students and family members attend. Five Wilson High School students gave of their time and talents to assist us. They did an outstanding job. Thank you to the PTA for sponsoring the food.
Please mark your calendar for our Family Dinner and Used Book Sale Night on Thursday, May 16thfrom 5:30 to 7:00PM. This PTA sponsored event is filled with fun, delicious spaghetti and an excellent deal on used books. All books are 25¢. Adults $5.00, children $3.00 or maximum $20.00 per family. You don’t want to miss this evening at Markham!
The weather could not have been more cooperative for our Markham Art Run. We had lots of student participation along with parent volunteers and help from Starbucks. This is such a jovial event with the music going and energy running high. All numbers have not been calculated, but I am hopeful that we have exceeded our expectation in support of our children.
Join me in sending well wishes to Adam Napier, Markham’s Head Custodian, as he embarks on another tour of duty in the Army Reserves to Kuwait and Afghanistan. Nick Lebeau is filling in for Adam temporarily. Mr. Lebeau will be with us for the next two weeks; afterwards a permanent custodian will be placed to the end of this school year. Mr. Lebeau is very familiar with Markham and has done a marvelous job in assisting us in not missing a beat once Mr. Napier left.
Our very own 5thgrader, Nabila F. was recognized as a Young, Gifted and Black honoree last month through a Portland Public School sponsored program. A reception was held at the BESC to honor 25 students for their outstanding academics and character. Please join me in congratulating Nabila for this accomplishment.
The 5thgrade OMSI three-day trip to Camp Kiwanilong in Warrenton, Oregon was filled with a lot of learning and fun. Students experienced forest hikes, created plot studies of wildlife, soil, and plants of the forest and beach ecologies, learned about the migration and habits of deer, dissected squid. In the evenings, the had campfires, sang songs and danced, just to name a fewthings that this trip entailed. I would like to extend a big thank you to the parents who attended as well. It is our hope that this trip can become a part of a Markham 5thgrade tradition.
Parent input for Class Placement Forms will be available in the office starting Monday, May 6th. Filling out this form is totally optional. If there is information you would like our staff to consider for class placements for the next school year, please complete the form. Please note: Markham does not honor specific request for teachers. However, if you provide us with this information, it will assist us in the appropriate placement for your child. All class assignments are tentative and subject to change if enrollment or other circumstances require class balancing. Class assignments will be mailed to families after August 15th.
Hooray for Markham! On April 18, 2013, Markham School was chosen to participate in a special art project. Portland Public School’s District Office has asked our students to create art work that will be displayed on large signs and billboards around the city to illustrate the School Construction Bond Project. Twenty-two of our 4thand 5thgrade students were chosen to work with Mrs. Huber to create community-themed art pieces to submit to PPS. Not all the pieces will be chosen by PPS, but many of them will. Students’ names will be posted below the art piece along with our school and Mrs. Huber’s. Be on the lookout for some beautiful works of art that will be adorning our city soon. What an honor this is for our school!
It’s that time of the year when staffing and budgets are to be considered. When the district allocated funds for next year, Markham’s current program was not fully funded. In order to make up this difference, unfortunately, PE has been reduced to half time. We were awarded another grant through the Portland Schools Foundation, a part of All Hands Raised, for $20,000. With the grant Markham will be able to secure a less-than-half-time Support/Intervention teacher to work with grades 1 and 2. Regrettably, we were not able to retain our grade 3-5 Support/Intervention with Ms. Mention. Ms. Dugan will remain at Markham for Technology half time. Ms. Keebaugh will still do Library half time and School Secretary the other half. Additionally, we will continue to have two ESL teachers. We also received funding for a full time ESL Educational Assistant, which will be half-time each Somali and Arabic speakers. Based on our enrollment, we also received a full time teacher for the Arts that we will use to hire a music teacher. Ms. Huber will continue as our Artist in Residence due to the generous giving through our PTA sponsored events.
Some of the scheduling is tentative based on decisions being made regarding the Arts Tax.
Class configurations for next year are three Kindergarten, two 1st, one 1st/2ndblend, two 2nd, two 3rd, two 4thand three 5th grade classrooms. We will have our two self-contained K-2 and 3-5 classrooms as well.
Attached, you will find a flyer on the new PPS student information system, Synergy, that will be replacing our current system, eSIS, starting next school year, as well as a parent’s guide to Internet safety compiled for you by our Technology teacher, Emma Dugan.
Enjoy this beautiful weather and blossoming trees and plants!
Sincerely,
Shawn Garnett
Principal
