The Springville Saga
Springville K-8 Parent Newsletter (4/17/17)
Principal's Message
I hope this newsletter find you and your families well. It's hard to believe that we are in the final stretch of our school year and with the cherry blossoms finally out, it's starting to really feel like spring! I can also feel the energy and fast pace of the end of the school year throughout the school. Teachers are working hard with students on final expeditions as well as meeting year end goals. And as a staff, we are in the midst of much planning for the 2017-18 school year as well.
I want to highlight a couple of upcoming events this spring that I am hoping you can attend. The first is our Volunteer Appreciation Dessert this Thursday at 3pm in the Springville cafeteria. Volunteers play a significant role in making our school and students successful. They are seen daily in the building as they read to our students, complete production orders, attend field studies, provide art literacy, plan for parties, hold community events, organize the Science Fair, and so much more. We are deeply appreciative of their service, so the event this Thursday is a chance for us to give our thanks to so many wonderful volunteers!
I am also hosting a series of informal Principal Chats over the next couple weeks in partnership with the Springville PTO. My goal with these chats is to get to know more Springville parents as well as hear your thoughts and ideas on Springville for the future. We are organizing these by grade level to allow for smaller groups and the PTO is providing childcare if you make a reservation. Below is the schedule of chats that I hope you can attend:
- Tuesday, April 18 - Kindergarten & 1st Grade Parents @ Springville
- Thursday, April 27 - 2nd & 3rd Grade Parents @ Springville
- Friday, May 5 - 6th-8th Grade Parents @ Springville
- Wednesday, May 10 - 4th & 5th Grade Parents @ Springville
We have many exciting events and changes ahead but most of all, we enjoy every day with your students. Thank you for sharing your children with us and for your ongoing support for Springville K-8. I look forward to seeing you this spring!
Robin
Robin Kobrowski
Principal, Springville K-8
Upcoming Events
- 8th Grade Field Study to Opal Creek - Monday, April 17-Wednesday, April 19
- Principal Chat for Kinder & 1st Grade Parents - Tuesday, April 18 @ Springville (7pm)
- Volunteer Appreciation Dessert - Thursday, April 20 @ Springville Cafeteria (3pm)
- PTO Family Movie Night ("Sing") - Friday, April 21 @ Springville (6:30pm)
- Day of Service - Friday, April 21 @ Springville & Timberland
- ESL Family Night - Wednesday, April 26 @ Springville (6pm-7:30pm)
- Principal Chat for 2nd & 3rd Grade Parents - Thursday, April 27 @ Springville (7pm)
- 6th Grade Choir Field Trip - Friday, April 28 @ Timberland (8:30am)
- Teacher Appreciation Week - Monday, May 1- Friday, May 5 @ Springville/Timberland
- Principal Chat for Middle School Parents - Friday, May 5 @ Springville (7pm)
- PTO Movie for Middle School "Rogue One" - Friday, May 5 @ Springville (7pm)
- Principal Chat for 4th & 5th Grade Parents - Wednesday, May 10 @ Springville (7pm)
Reminders & Updates
- Drop Off Safety: A reminder that parents who are dropping off students in the morning must stop along the curb, pulling all the way forward, and letting students out of the car on the curb side. We have had some cars stopping and letting students out into the middle of the parking lot where cars are moving. For student safety, please only drop off on along the curb.
- Author Visit: On May 31, 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders will attend a presentation from author filmmakers and performers Rob and Laura Sams of Sisbro Studios. Last year, two of our 3rd grade classes worked with SisBro in filming portions of the PBS kids show "Splash and Bubbles" which earned our school a free author visit. There will be videos available for students to purchase and have autographed. More information will be available soon!
- Kindergarten Registration: Enrollment packets for incoming 2017-18 Kindergarten students are now available in our main office. If you have not already done so, please complete an enrollment packet for your incoming kindergarten student. This helps a great deal with planning for classes next year.
- April 28 Reinstated School Day: A reminder that April 28 was added back into our calendars as a regular school day to help make up for the lost snow days.
Planning for 2017-2018 School Year
Based on K-5 enrollment projections for next year, we anticipate having 3 or 4 teachers at each grade level K-5, which will mean a reduction of approximately 15 certified staff members and some classified staff at Springville K-8. We will be following guidelines for staff transfers based on contractual agreements. Please know that we will keep you updated as we have further information.
It's critically important that we have accurate information as far as student enrollment, so please make any necessary updates in our main office. Additionally, we will be putting out Parent Input Forms soon and will notify you when these are available.
Springville Science Fair
I also want to highlight that the most important aspect of the Science Fair experience is student inquiry and that I will be looking in the future for ways to further promote this. I appreciated that many teachers brought their classes to see the projects last Monday so that students could share their inquiry work with classmates.
Below is a list of the winners by category, all of whom will be participating in the K-8 District Science Fair in May:
Category Kindergarten & 1st Grade
- Ellen Suh - Acids & Alkalis (1st)
- Rhea Kowtal - How do Polar Bears Survive in the Arctic (2nd)
- Nishika Nutakki & Sahana Tamilarasan - How do Animals Defend Themselves? (3rd)
Category 2nd Grade & 3rd Grade
- Nihal Sundar - Spices to the Rescue! (1st)
- Merul Babaria - Impact of Radiowaves on Organic Matter (2nd)
- Isha Ganpule - Do Plants Really Stop Soil Erosion? (3rd)
- Anay Aggarwal - Grass Magic (3rd)
Category 4th Grade & 5th Grade
- Eisuke Hirota - Shape Champion of Weight Lifting (1st)
- Susan M/Kayleigh C - Effects of Drinks on Your Teeth (2nd)
- Sasha Plekhanov - Blood Oxygen Saturation as a Result of Activity, Breathing, & Environment (3rd)
Category 6th - 8th Grade
- Christopher Kang - World Gears (1st)
- Ryan Sharma - Power of Magnetism (2nd)
- Nutan Sharma & Ria Agarwal - Chemistry of Chocolate (3rd)
Kudos . . .
- Eunji Ryu, a 5th grader in Mrs. Doolittle's class, was selected as one of the runner-up winners in the elementary school category for this year's Creative Expression Contest through Beaverton's Human Rights Advisory Commission. Eunji, her family, and her teacher have been invited to attend the awards presentation for the Creative Expression Contest at Beaverton's City Hall on Tuesday, May 2nd at 6:30 pm.
- PCC Learning Garden Partnership Recognition: The Beaverton School Board will recognize the Springville K-8/PCC Rock Creek Learning Garden partnership at their upcoming Business Meeting on Monday, April 24, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. at the District’s Administration Office. Middle school and 5th grade teachers and students will be recognized along with PCC partners.
- Springville 3rd Graders and Teachers were recognized in the Beaverton School District Staff Kudos Newsletter for their participation in a program from the Architecture Foundation of Oregon called Architects in Schools. Architects in Schools matches professional architects and structural engineers with 3rd - 5th grade teachers for a 6-week classroom residency at no cost to the school. See this link for more information: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/depts/CCI/pubs/Staff%20Kudos/2016-2017%20Staff%20Kudos/Staff_Kudos_April_2017.pdf
Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB)
Our grade-level champions were: Book Bots (5th grade), Sparkle Readers (4th grade), and Golden Exterminators (3rd grade). The Golden Exterminators represented Springville in the 3-5 Division of OBOB Regional Battles March 11 at Health and Science High School. The Great Golden Griffins represented our middle school in the 6-8 Division on March 18 at Thomas Fowler Middle School.
I also want to thank OBOB Coordinator Tammy Fry and the many parent volunteers who help run so many of the battles for multiple weeks!
DISTRICT NEWS
Annual Parent Survey
Please take a few moments to complete the BSD Annual Parent Survey during the month of April! The survey helps us to evaluate our progress in educating your child and planning for the future. Our goal is to ensure that every member of our school community feels welcomed, valued, and informed, so it is important for all parents/guardians to complete the survey. The survey data will be summarized so that each person who answers will remain anonymous.
A link to the 2017 Annual Parent Survey was sent to all valid parent email addresses via School Messenger on April 3, 2017. The deadline to participate is Friday, April 28, 2017. You can view a copy of the survey in both English and Spanish on the Research & Reports webpage.
Early Release/Teacher Collaboration for 2017-18
Starting in September 2017, the Beaverton School District will implement a 90-minute early release on Wednesday afternoons to allow teachers time to collaborate and participate in professional development opportunities. The schedule change is a result of the new contract between the District and the Beaverton Education Association. The agreement adds nine student days over the next three years.
We recognize the impact this change will have on families and childcare may be a challenge. We are exploring opportunities for additional after school activities with the Beaverton Education Foundation and other community partners.
The District recognizes this fact and has already begun the planning process. Some of those steps include weekly planning meetings, conducting parent focus groups and regular communications about the change. Much of the work is focused on determining how to support families and students in the transition.
The District has developed an Early Release/Teacher Collaboration webpage. There is a link to this page on our school webpage in the “School Resources” box. The webpage includes an FAQ that may contain answers to many of your questions. The FAQ has been updated and a new video added!
Planning for Early Release/Teacher Collaboration will continue to take place throughout the 2016-2017 school year. Please check the District’s BSD Briefs newsletter, our school newsletter and the Early Release/Teacher Collaboration webpage for updates.
Community News
"Build a Better World!" at the Library this summer!
The Cedar Mill Community Library and the Cedar Mill Community Library @ Bethany are hosting a Summer Reading Program and all children and teenagers are welcome to join, beginning on Thursday, June 1, 2017. Every reader and pre-reader who participates will be able to earn some great prizes, including a free paperback book!
During the summer, both Cedar Mill Libraries will also be hosting special performances by musicians, magicians, and other creative performers. All programs are free of charge and a calendar of events will be available on June 1.
The Cedar Mill Community Library is located at 12505 NW Cornell Road, Suite 13, at the intersection of Cornell Road and Saltzman Road, behind Sunset Bingo. The Cedar Mill Community Library @ Bethany can be found on at 15325 NW Central Drive, Suite J-8 in the Bethany Village Shopping Center off of NW Bethany Boulevard.
For more information, contact the Cedar Mill Community Library Youth Services Department at (503) 644-0043 ext 112. Check the library website http://library.cedarmill.org for our calendar of events, beginning June 1st.
Springville K-8
Email: robin_kobrowski@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/schools/springville/
Location: 6655 NW Joss Ave, Portland, OR, United States
Phone: (503) 356-2480 (503) 356-5060