HOME

Mission & Goals

About The School

School Staff

Academic Program

Publicity

Partnerships

21cs International

School District

Contact Us

FEBRUARY – MARCH 2003  PARENT  NEWSLETTER

Community Schoolhouse Potluck set for February 13

The Board of Directors of the 21^st Century Community Schoolhouse invites parents to a potluck event at the school on Thursday, Feb. 13^th, at 6:30 p.m.  The event is planned as an evening of fun and community and an opportunity to discuss and plan for the future of our school.

Parents with last names beginning with the letters A-M are asked to bring a main dish.  Last names N-R should bring a salad, and T-Z should bring a dessert.  Please R.S.V.P. by Feb. 10 by calling the school at 503-763-8958.

This is a very important event for parents and other supporters of the Community Schoolhouse. We look for to seeing you on the 13^th.

School schedules parent conferences for February 26-27

Parent-student-teacher conferences are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, February 26 and 27 at the Community Schoolhouse.   Your student’s advisor will be contacting you during the month of February to schedule a time during those two days to meet for your mid-year parent/student/teacher conference. 

During these conferences, student progress in classes and towards graduation will be discussed and student goals will be set. These conferences are very important for everyone.  We are looking forward to having 100% participation and seeing you here!  If you want to go ahead and schedule a conference now, please call your student’s advisor at the school at (503) 763-8958.

Lottery selects new students

The changing of semesters in the other Salem-Keizer high schools often means a few changes at the Community Schoolhouse.  With new openings occurring, we now welcome our latest lottery winners: Grade 9 – Jonathan Leon; Grade 10 – Scott Allen, Cieara Alvarado, Chase Bailey, Stephanie Ford, Kirstin Herzberg, Ryan Meuchel, and Jennifer Myrland; and Grade 11 – Sara Austin, Mike Hathaway, and Deana Walling.

Instructional Block Updates

n SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

Red & Blue Blocks

Winter term in the red and blue blocks of Science & Society begins with some background in content knowledge. In Science, students are studying the building blocks of life (an introduction to biochemistry and cellular structure), DNA and genetics. In Social Studies, students are focusing on an introduction to American Government and the Constitution.  All of these areas of study are setting the stage for an exploration of human issues of diversity and race, as well as cloning.

Global Issues (Green Block)

In the Global Issues class, students are continuing with their weekly study of an issue that faces humanity either globally, or locally, and calls for stewardship.  The class began the term with a look at the background and current controversy over affirmative action.  Each week, students are given a scrapbook activity they complete and add to their scrapbook portfolio. The students' Stewardship Scrapbook can be placed online as a Web site.  Students are using time in their Technology block to build this electronic portfolio.

All assignments in Science & Society with Molly Kellar & Andrew Goldstein can be found at our website:

http://www.communityschoolhouse.org/scienceandsociety2002-2003.htm

Environmental Stewardship

This semester has been devoted to learning about the evolution of life to explain what we see today and why. The focus has been on the geologic time scale as students are learning about each of the eras, periods, and epochs and life associated with each.  This unit will take an anthropological spin as students look specifically at human evolution, tracing back our roots to our earliest ancestors.  This will be enhanced with a two-day visit from an archeologist from the Bureau of Land Management, Fran Philipek.  She will bring in artifacts and help enhance the unit with her expertise.  Afterward, students will have a chance to explore a little about the human history of the Pacific Northwest.

n MATH

Red Block

• In Rick’s Introductory Geometry/Applied Math half of red block, students have been using the tools of geometry (compass, straightedge and protractor) to make drawings and constructions of segments, angles, lines, and polygons. Students have been doing hands-on investigations to discover relationships between figures and develop their own conjectures about the concepts. 

• Diane is teaching the other half of red block. Students are continuing to work with decimals and are learning how moving decimals changes the quantitative value of numbers.  They are also beginning to make sense of the relationship between decimal amounts and fraction amounts.  Hands-on materials and activities will give students further opportunity to make sense of decimals and fractions.

Blue Block

• In Ryan’s Introductory Geometry/Applied Math half of blue block, the content is the same as Rick's red block class described above.

• Diane is teaching the other half of blue block. The content is the same as that provided for Diane's half of red block.

Green Block

• In Rick’s Advanced Algebra course, students are studying linear relationships between two variables and learning the technique of linear regression to do interpolation and extrapolation.  Students are using their graphing calculators to perform these regressions and graph data.

• For Rick’s class of two in the independent study of Statistics, the students are using gathered data to find confidence intervals and perform significance tests.  These concepts and techniques allow students to make predictions and/or refute assumptions about populations.  

• Diane is teaching a third of green block.  Green block has made significant progress this year. One student has almost completed requirements for Boxer Math and a second and third student are rapidly catching up.  Several students are continuing to make good progress in understanding polynomials.  Our volunteer from the State Department of Human Resources has committed to teaching a mini lesson each Friday. 

• Ryan is teaching a third of green block. Students here are learning about line and angle properties.  Students have been using concepts they have learned in previous chapters to determine relationships between parallel and perpendicular lines and angles.  They will be completing this chapter in the near future before moving on to Triangle properties.

n TECHNOLOGY

• Along with refining their basic software application skills with Microsoft Word and Excel through their coursework, students in red and blue blocks have begun doing basic Web page design in a cross-curricular lesson plan with the Language Arts department.  Students are creating a Web site to display their poetry and review all the concepts they are learning about writing in various styles.  Students with previous Web page design experience are developing more advanced Web sites using the same content.

• In green block, students are creating Web page portfolios in a cross-curricular lesson plan with the Science & Society block.  The portfolios address global issues and will be linked to their existing personal Web pages (if they already have one).  The students in green block without prior Web page design experience are learning the basics of Web page design using the same content.

n    LANGUAGE ARTS
 
Red & Blue Block

Students participated in the Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) writing test the week of January 27. This followed some detailed creative writing relating to simile and metaphor, and more descriptive writing. Once again student journals were collected and graded.  Most of the students are continuing to do a great job relating their thoughts, joys and frustrations.  The class is now involved in poetry and is defining the following terms: alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, personification, haiku and rhyme/free-verse.  Along with the terms naturally come poetic outputs.  Still ahead in the winter term are a play and a novel.  Reading will soon become a strong emphasis.
 
Green Block

Students in green block are working hard on a 5-7 page research paper in conjunction with the Psychology and Wellness classes.  Psychology plays the vital role in the paper's thesis.  Journaling continues, as do many mini-lessons for parts of the research paper that are due at the end of January.  A few films, some children's literature creations, and mini-drama lessons highlight the remainder of the term.
 

n    WELLNESS AND THE COMMUNITY

Service Learning

Students wishing to participate in a service learning project to earn a half credit this year must contact Heather no later than February 14.  So far more than 25 Community Schoolhouse students are participating in ongoing service projects and earning elective credits.  Parents, please remind your son or daughter to turn in their time sheet to Heather at the end of each month.  Without a verifiable time sheet, we cannot and will not award academic credit for projects.

Several students volunteered on January 24 at Lamb Elementary School to help conduct a family science night.  Students were trained by staff from the Gilbert House to conduct science station activities for Lamb students and their parents. In addition, students are signing up to volunteer at local grade schools for Read Across America day in March.

Green Block Wellness

Students spent the month of January working on a research paper dealing with topics related to psychology.  Parents, please ask your son or daughter to describe their thesis statement to you and fill you in regarding what they have learned about their topic.  This project has been integrated between English and Wellness blocks.  This approach provides the students ample class time to learn about their topic in depth.  An added benefit is that the students will receive dual credit in both English and Wellness with one outcome! 

Red and Blue Block Wellness

Students in this block are spending much of winter term studying human anatomy and physiology. Thus far students have been studying the names and functions of the tissues making up the skeletal system. Class content will cover all of the body systems by the end of winter term.  Students have gotten off to a solid start with a number of strong academic performances on the first “real” test in this unit. 

Physical Education

The Community Schoolhouse extends its thanks to the Salem Family YMCA for letting the school use its facilities for the school's physical education program.  There are currently three PE classes using the YMCA four mornings per week for personal fitness training. 

n BRIDGE PROGRAM

Bridge students completed their first term of work with all students earning credit toward graduation.  Students are working in the STARS online program, in which they can work independently in core subject areas at their own pace.

Students have also begun their mentorship experiences in various settings throughout the community, ranging from The Humane Society to Gateway Computers. Feedback from participating businesses and organizations about our students has been very positive thus far, and students are enjoying their experiences. These mentorships are facilitated and monitored through The Boys and Girls Club. Students can earn up to two elective credits toward graduation through participating in this program.

Annette Guizado, Bridge teacher, is offering an elective Writer's Workshop class as an opportunity to earn additional elective credit.

Bridge students are now settled into winter term and are attempting to complete approximately twice as many credits in the fall in order to be on target for graduation or senior standing. Class hours have been changed to 1:50 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Enrichment and Remediation (ER) Update

n STUDENT ORGANIZATION

The Student Organization recently completed a “Dream Wall” tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and is in the process of designing a Black History display for the month of February.  Student Organization is also completing the next volume of the student newspaper, as well as organizing an afternoon party for Valentine’s Day (performances by the Drama Club and Guitar class are currently scheduled).

n     GUITAR CLASS

Guitar class currently has two sections running simultaneously.  One is a basic group that is learning the notes on all the strings, two and three-string chords, as well as shortened versions of pop classics.  The three advanced guitarists are developing a 15-minute set of some original songs and some cover songs to be performed at the Valentine’s Day party at the school.

n INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLHOUSE

International Schoolhouse students are working together on three major art projects.  One is for the Bureau of Land Management, which will creatively and artistically showcase various aspects of the organization.  Students are also preparing two displays for the Earth Day Event in April at the Oregon Garden.  In addition, a guest from the City of Salem has visited the group and taught how to properly put storm drain markers by storm drains to educate the public.  As the weather gets nicer, the students plan is to do more Local Action projects in the community.

n TEEN TEACHERS
The Teen Teachers' brochure is printed, the curriculum ready, and the planning almost done!  Now the group is almost ready to begin working with homeless and disadvantaged youth and adults in our community through the HOME, H.O.A.P, and H.O.S.T programs in downtown Salem.  We have developed teaching modules in Computer Basics, Keyboarding, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft FrontPage.  The goal of Teen Teachers is to provide training in computer skills to assist others in their job marketability. Classes will be held on the first floor of the Community Schoolhouse and will officially begin the week of February 24 and run through the rest of the school year. 

n PERSONALIZED CROSS-TRAINING

Ron has started this new ER program for the winter and spring terms.  The class of 8-10 students meets Monday - Thursday at 8 a.m. and works on getting fit.  Park runs, road running, track and stairs workouts at Willamette University, and station-to-station workouts at the YMCA keep the students progressing toward better conditioning.
 
n DRAMA

Kristina has launched the fledgling drama program at the Community Schoolhouse. The Introduction to Theatre Arts class meets twice a week and allows students to gain an understanding and appreciation for the dramatic arts.  Winter term will focus on acting and other devices for communicating on stage. Spring term will focus more on technical theatre and actual production work.  Students
are also looking to produce a small dinner show before the end of the school year. 

Service project challenges students to inspire others
A schoolwide outreach project provided students of the Community Schoolhouse with a unique opportunity to assist local agencies, organizations and individuals - and provide hope to others who, for whatever reason, have encountered personal hardships and obstacles.

The project, entitled "Human to Human Inspiration" was the school's integrated term-end assignment in December. For the two-week assignment, teams of students collaborated on a project incorporating all of the school's instructional areas.  The project aligned with the school's yearlong theme of "Inspiration" and challenged students to research and identify service needs in the community, conduct a service activity, and complete a reflective presentation that documents the group's experience.

Individual group presentations - in the form of PowerPoint, video, magazine articles, posters, scrapbooks, journals and/or various other forms - were conducted on Thursday, December 12, at the school. Parents and community members were invited to attend. 

Schools, retirement homes, charities and families and individuals directly benefited from approximately 1,300 hours of service invested by Community Schoolhouse students during the two-week project. 

In addition to the term-end service project, the Community Schoolhouse also conducted a schoolwide food drive for the Marion Polk Food Share and participated in the Salvation Army's Adopt-A-Family program for the holiday season.  These outreach efforts support the Community Schoolhouse's yearlong commitment to connecting students with their local and global communities.

School participates in Target fundraising program
The Community Schoolhouse is participating in the Target Take Charge of Education program, allowing parents and other community members to support the school by using a Target Visa card.  The Target Visa will allow your designated school to receive donations from Target not only when you shop at Target (just like the Target Guest Card), but also when you use the card everywhere else Visa is excepted – over 21 merchant locations worldwide.

The process is simple. Apply for a Target Visa and designate the 21st Century Community Schoolhouse as your school of choice (the school's ID number is 119067). Shop with your Target Visa and Target will donate 1% of Target Visa and Target Guest Card purchases made at Target stores, and 1/2% of Target Visa purchases made everywhere else Visa is accepted.

contact: school@communityschoolhouse.org