A Message from Our Assistant Principal
 Yesterday at the end of recess several classes and I had a sing along to Jingle Bells and once again I was reminded of how fun my job is and how much I like working with your children every day. It is a delight to be at Alameda and I enjoy every season of the school year with your children. I also had the opportunity to visit several classrooms this week and want to recognize some of the great work our teachers are doing. In Erika Kohn’s class I got to see the biographies they have been working on and hear the students tell one another about their person and see the craft of writing evident for all in the display. In Alex Marler’s class I heard the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and saw how she took that story and extended the meaning into a game of shapes that all the kinders were excited to play. In other kindergarten classes I got to play a game of launch with the students as they investigated how to launch marshmallow and send them flying into space. I was lucky to see a two part art lesson from Emily Pratt on different techniques for shading and filling in shapes and watched the students go through the creating process of rough draft to final draft. I have been enjoying all the artwork on the walls from the snowmen from Briggette Niebergall’s class to the Bruegel art study outside of Mr. Sisk’s room. It is always fun for me to walk the halls and classrooms and see so much student work on display. I encourage you to walk through the halls with your child and have them tell you about their work.
Last night at the PTA meeting I had the opportunity to answer questions about climate team and restorative justice along with second grade teacher, Kayla Tracy, and Rick Kirschmann the Assistant Director-School Climate and Discipline from the PPS Office of Equity and Partnerships. As you know, we have been working as a team to build our climate here at Alameda and positively reinforce the already wonderful environment we have here. I encourage you all to read our Alameda School Climate Handbook so that together we can continue to make Alameda the best it can be.
Last week teachers of grades 3-5 were given the Smarter Balance notice and opt out forms to send home to families. We will start testing in March and students who opt out will need to get their forms turned back into the office so that we can enter those into the system for testing. If you have any questions about the testing, please contact me as I am the testing coordinator for Alameda.
Please remember that students need to be supervised if they are on the playground before or after school. We appreciate all your support in having this be a safe and welcoming place at all times.
Please remember to stay warm and toasty this holiday season. As always, best wishes from your Alameda team.
Sincerely,
Eryn Berg
AP, Alameda
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Season of Giving
Food insecurity is a struggle for many, especially here in Oregon where 1 in 5 neighbors face hunger. Our Alameda PTA has identified several ways we as a community can help:
- Purchase and donate gift cards to grocery stores for families in need. Purchase and drop off your donated gift cards in the donation box in the school office by Friday, December 16. Our PTA will work with the local SUN School Program to see that the gift cards reach our fellow PPS families who are most in need. While any gift cards are welcome, we recommend selecting stores where shopping dollars go farther (Albertson's, Fred Meyer, Safeway). Any amount is fine. And remember, if you purchase the gift cards via SCRIP you’ll also be supporting Alameda!
- Volunteer at one of the many local organizations working to fight hunger in our community. Our Community Service Club has planned an Alameda Volunteer Night at the Oregon Food Bank on January 17. Together we can make a difference! If that date doesn't work for you or you would like to help even more, there are many opportunities for you and your family and friends to support the good work happening at the Oregon Foodbank and the Backpack Lunch Program. Both organizations allow children to volunteer side-by-side with adults.
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 Holiday Lights Recycling
Got a few bulbs out on those strands of tree lights? Replacing your outdoor display lights with LEDs? The Alameda Green Team is coordinating holiday lights recycling again this year. Look for the big box next to the glass display case in the lobby starting December 9th. All string lights will be accepted through December 16th and then again from January 3rd to January 13th.
For more ideas about how to "green" your holidays, please check out these great tips from Alameda's Green Team.
Questions? E-mail greenteam@alamedaschool.org
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A Call for Advertising Sponsors & Donations for the Alameda Auction
The Alameda Starlight Auction, Alameda's largest annual fundraiser to support staff positions at Alameda and the All Hands Raised Equity Fund, will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the leftbank annex. We are looking for advertising sponsors at all levels ($250-$5,000) and donations of items and experiences for the silent and live auctions. If you can help with either of these, please download and complete a sponsorship form or an item donation form.
If you have any questions about how you can help support the Alameda Starlight Auction, please contact Katie Haraguchi at auction@alamedaschool.org.
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Your kids will be carefully watched by YCare staff. They’ll be treated to games, crafts, snacks and a movie while you get your holiday shopping done, catch a movie or just stay at home and enjoy the peace and quiet.
$25/child - 4 spots remain!
- Younger siblings are permitted but children must be potty trained.
- Lunch is not included but snacks will be provided.
- Space is limited and must be reserved ahead of time.
- Late fees will apply if you are not on time for pick up.
- Advanced payment is required. No refunds.
To register please secure and pay for your space online.
On the day of the event, you must bring the completed registration form.
Questions? Email Katherine Hart
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 Passport Club Update:
Next Check is Dec 16
Thank you for the response to our call for volunteers. It looks like we will be better prepared for our next passport check day on Friday, December 16. But we'll gladly take more help this time or in the months ahead. Please consider volunteering for the Passport Club! We ideally need as many as 25 volunteers per session. Each "passport check" runs from 8:50am - 11:00am in the cafetorium and it’s a really fun way to interact with our great Alameda 2nd-5th graders. We have a blast!
For more information about the club and preparing your child for the montly checks, please visit our web page.
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Are you looking for ways to reduce your tax burden for the year?
We've got several options that might work for you, both of which play a critical role in enriching the lives of students, keeping families connected, and assisting and adding to our valuable staff.
1) Join our PTA.
Your tax deductible membership dues ($25) and donations help sustain PTA programs at Alameda including extracurricular clubs and activities for students, curriculum support, technology purchases, and staff professional development.
To join go to http://join.myschoolanywhere.com and enter the invitation code: AlamedaSchoolPDX.
2) Donate to our Foundation.
The Alameda School Foundation raises money to supplement the school's budget for teaching and staff positions at Alameda School and contributes to the PPS Equity Fund to help less fortunate schools. Your tax deductible one-time or recurring donation can help preserve adequate staffing for smaller class sizes and crucial programs like music, art, P.E. and specialized library services.
To donate go to http://allhandsraised.org/donate/
Be sure to select “Alameda ES” from the “Select Recipient” drop down menu.
Don’t forget to ask your employer to match your contribution!
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 Today is the deadline to register your BOB team!
Please have one parent or guardian complete the online registration on behalf of the team TODAY. We will not accept any more team registrations after December 8 so please be sure to complete the process as soon as possible.
After you have completed the online registration, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to finalize your team payment and paperwork with the BOB team.
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News from the Gym
A message to parents from Suzanne Lebaron
 Thanks to your support and the incredible work your children did during our Run For The Arts, we are blessed with an Artist in Residence in the gym! Mag Hughes from WECARE Sports is here presenting his workshop "Games From Around the World." During his time with us, Mag will be teaching students a variety of activities such as chinese yo-yo, juggling sticks, Peteca, and many others. The students are enjoying this and have expressed an interest in some of the equipment. If you go to the WECARE website, you will see all of the equipment that he is using with the kids (plus much more). With the holidays right around the corner, some of the items would make great gifts for the kiddos! And again, thank you for all the support for our Run For The Arts!
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 Follow us on Facebook
In the past there have been multiple Facebook pages used by the Alameda community. Did you know that we now have just one? When you "like" the official Alameda Elementary Facebook page you'll be sure to get all the postings from our school, our PTA and our Foundation.
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Grounds Clean-up Rescheduled!
Due to scheduling conflicts this Saturday's Alameda School Grounds Clean Up has been cancelled. Thank you to all those interested and willing to help out. Another Grounds Clean Up will be planned in the Spring. More details will be available after the winter break.
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