Category: Weekly News

 There are many shout-outs this week! Special shout-outs go to Ms. Truc, Mr. James and all of the TAs for showing dedicated service by delivering needed items to orphanages during the last few weekends.  More shout-outs go to our very own Elaine Eastwood for joining with Jody Fetterolf (HS), Bill Fossgreen (HS), and Bonnie Bertoia (MS), to deliver an outstanding Critical Friends Group training, CFG.   Still more shout-outs to all of the teachers who traded their weekend time to engage in the CFG seminar. The next ES assembly will be on Thursday, September 22nd. Please contact Alan Heatwole if your class has an accomplishment they...

I hope everyone was able to enjoy a few extra hours of relaxation time this weekend. Here is what’s up this week: Monday, Sept. 5 8:15                  Fire Drill (Unannounced to students)                            DSA and F&P Assessments, all week                            ES School Class and Individual Photos, all week                             Happy Birthday, Tara! Tuesday, Sept. 6 Wednesday, Sept. 7 12:15    ...

Happy Monday! See Dan’s post below “Moving Morning Messages to a Faculty Blog” for information about this new format for the Morning Messages. Here is what’s up this week: Monday, Aug. 29 3:15                  ASA Season 1 begins                            Narrative Writing prompt assessment this week Tuesday, Aug. 30 8:30AM           Workshop for new ES parents, Flex Room Wednesday, Aug. 31 3:15-4:30         Full Faculty Home Group Data Review, Aud. Thursday, Sept. 1 8:15AM            Principal’s...

Dear colleagues, We will be slowly transitioning the “Morning Messages” from email format to blog format.  Middle School and High School made this switch last year; now it is time for Elementary School to make the change to a faculty blog.  This change may have many advantages and two disadvantages: The advantages will include: A common location where all the messages are archived A feature to search for key terms An ES parent/student/faculty calendar on the left, minimizing the need to duplicate putting dates in two places at once Every posting can be automatically sent to your email, if you subscribe It forces...

Dear colleagues, Here are some reflections on the SSIS curriculum and how it is conceived. These are the themes that we want to emphasize with parents at Curriculum Night. Our Learning Environment is about more than just a traditional curriculum school.  Our curriculum does not INCLUDE  the 5 Core Values, our curriculum IS the 5 Core Values, and all the subjects fall under the Core Value of Academic Excellence. Balance in Life, Dedicated Service, Respect for All, and Sense of Self are the responsibilities of adults to model on and off the school campus, during and outside the school day.  The best way...

Dear elementary teachers, This Tuesday is Curriculum Night.  As you prepare for the evening, I would like to remind you of a  few points about the evening: Presentations are done by individual teachers in the classroom, not presented as a group.  However, I suggest you prepare one basic slide show for your grade level so there is consistency (parents do compare notes). As part of our Parent Engagement initiative, we want to ensure that this night is presented at a high quality level.  Please remember that Curriculum Night is a good time to start getting parents to sign up for...

Dear colleagues – The security turnstiles go into full effect on Monday morning, August 19.  All people wanting to come on campus and leave campus will need a school-issued RFID security badge.  Anyone who does not have a proper security badge will need to go through a separate sign in procedure at the security gate and/or reception.  (Additional notes below on how these details will occur.)  Please remind students. Thanks, Dan Show up without a card:  Students in uniform without an ID coming to campus, sign in like regular visitor, get a laminated gate pass; swipe through with greeter and/or...

Dear Elementary Colleagues, Welcome to the 2015-2016 school year.  I hope that your summer vacation was relaxing and rejuvenating. Our summer vacation (pictures attached) was filled with a variety of enriching experiences: a week in Turkey which included my graduation ceremony, a week-long family reunion on Flathead Lake (Montana), a 12th annual camping trip with four families, and time with family and friends at Riverwood (our wilderness home in the Cascade Mountains of Washington).  I summarize our summer as ‘perfect’ and I felt a great sense of gratitude for all the good we have in our lives. During the summer,...