SHS Principal Newsletter
November 2018
Juniors participate in the Portland College Fair as a part of College Application Week
SHS Juniors bused to the Portland Convention Center to attend the Portland College Fair on October 29. They had a chance to visit with representatives of over 200 schools, from large to small, public to private, and domestic to global. It was a good opportunity for students to look at the many options that are out there and to consider next steps. Representatives from local schools also visited that week, and the counseling department provided opportunities for students and parents to learn more about the FAFSA and aid opportunities.
Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack a success!
Once again, the FMSC Santiam mobile pack was a great success. Over 1100 community volunteers including many SHS students packed 972 boxes of food. This equates to 210,065 meals that will feed 575 children for a year! This was a great opportunity for SHS and the community to think beyond themselves and to contribute to the greater good. Thanks to all who organized and participated in the event!
Employability Scores
SHS students are learning on and focusing on the skills it takes to be successful in the workplace, with the help of employabiliy scores (e-scores). This score, which is assessed once per semester and which generates a report separate from semester grades, draw on student performance in behavior, timeliness, the ability to collaborate with others, and completing tasks in a timely manner. For more details on this score, see the parent letter HERE.
An example of what a score looks like can be found here: e-score example
New Documentary features Ty Hart
Country singer Granger Smith has created a new documentary featuring the stories and families of several fallen soldiers. The story of Ty Hart, a 2012 SHS graduate, who died in a helicoptor training exercise near Hawaii, was chosen from over 300 submitted to be featured. You can see the preview below. An event is being held on the day of it's release in the Auditorium. On November 30, for $10, individuals can come eat pizza (at 5:30) and then view the documentary in the SHS Auditorium (at 6:30). Proceeds go to the Ty Hart Memorial fund, which helps students pay for equipment for sports and also gives scholarships towards college.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06BP2eSgzEw
Focusing on Collaboration
SHS teachers are focusing on collaborative strategies...how students can work together to learn together. These include simple things such as how students talk and share with each other, and procedures such as collaborative study groups that help students help other students to process and learn information. Research shows that talking through questions and explaining to peers is one of the most effective ways to learn, and teachers are working hard to give students opportunities to do so. The poster below shows the AVID definition of collaboration, and some of the AVID strategies that teachers are working to incorporate to improve student learning. Collaboration is one of the five instructional focuses of AVID towards student success and high-level learning (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading).