February 8, 2019
A Note from Susan
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Susan is away at the annual retreat for principals hosted by the Archdiocese, so she's asked me to write her column.
With (more!) snow in the forecast for next week, here’s a reminder of what we do if a storm hits the Portland area. All you need to remember is that we follow Portland Public Schools in weather-related decisions.
- If they cancel school, we cancel school. This also means that all evening activities (basketball practices, meetings, etc.) are cancelled.
- If they call a 2-hour delay, we have a 2-hour delay. Students should be here at 10:15am. Our morning YDP before school program would start at 9:30am, instead of 7:30am. The only discrepancy to this involves our students who have Spanish at 7:30am. Their class would be cancelled for the day because the Spanish teachers are at other schools by 9:45am.
If snow starts falling after students arrive and PPS closes school mid-day, we would also close mid-day. YDP would be cancelled, be we will be here until everyone is picked up.
Open House Rescheduled
Thanks to our snow day earlier this week, we had to postpone our Open House activities. We have rescheduled our Open House events for Tuesday, February 19 (Parent Info Night) and Wednesday, February 20 (School tours). Since word-of-mouth is our best marketing tool, please be sure to tell your friends and neighbors who had been hoping to visit earlier this week.
Field Trips, Jogathon & Called to Protect
Teachers are busy planning spring field trips, and the Jogathon is coming up fast, so if you want to chaperone or tally, you must be up to date in the Called to Protect program. Click here for details and don’t hesitate to call the office for clarification.
2019 Annual Fund Campaign
The chance to guest write Susan’s column?! Of course I have to mention that very soon we’ll kick off the 2019 Annual Fund Campaign, which supports three areas:
- Tuition Assistance Fund: Provides more than $60,000 in tuition assistance to students each year
- The Madeleine School Endowment Fund: Provides supplemental funding for tuition assistance
- Area of Greatest Need: Used at the discretion of the Pastor, Principal and School Advisory Council
I hope you’ll consider supporting the 2019 Annual Fund Campaign, which is integral to our commitment to ensuring that a Catholic education is affordable for all children in the Madeleine community. Best of all, donations of any size will be matched by the OCF Joseph E. Weston Foundation up to our $50,000 Annual Fund goal! With your help, we’ll ensure this match does not go untapped and continue to build the legacy of The Madeleine School. So, be on the lookout for more details coming soon.
In the meantime, enjoy the snow!
Caryn Fiedler
Development Director
Five for Friday
The news you need really, really fast!
- Volunteer Help Needed: Click Here
- News from the Art Room: Click here
- Parents Club Guest Speaker: Click Here
- Financial Aid Information: Click Here
- Counselors Corner: Click here
NEW Dates for Open House!
Help Up Spread the Word
Due to the snow, we have rescheduled our Open House dates. Word of mouth is our best marketing tool, so be sure to tell everyone you know about our Open House Events.
Parent Information Night – Tuesday, February 19th @ 7pm
Come hear all about the school from Principal Susan Steele, Father Mike Biewend and current parents. Visit the classrooms and enjoy conversations with current parents.
School Tours – Wednesday, February 20th from 10am - 1pm
Bring your child for a tour of the school and see the teachers and current students in action.
New Dates = Need for Volunteers
Due to the new dates for our Open Houes not all volunteers that were previously scheduled are available. We would love your help to welcome all the families who look forward to sending their kids to Madeleine next year. We need volunteers in the classrooms to talk to prospective families and tour guides to provide school tours. Here are the details:
Information Night – Tuesday, February 19, 2019
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Needed: Classroom reps to greet prospective parents and answer questions about the school
School Tours – Wednesday, February 20, 2019
9:45am – 11:30am, shift 1
11:30am - 1:00 pm, shift 2
Needed: Tour guides to tour prospective parents and children around the school
Please contact Julie Baldwin at julie.juliebaldwin@gmail.com or text 503-490-7731 to sign up!
News from the Art Room
What's Happening in February...
For the next month in art, all students will be focused on figure drawing and portraiture. It is certainly not easy to draw humans, and it can be exhausting and disheartening to struggle with how you think something SHOULD look when it refuses to look the way you see it in your head. I am working very hard to encourage students to be kind to themselves and to recognize that we are all growing as artists— none of us are done yet! Parents can be a great example by encouraging kids to simply focuse on improving where they are and for parents to personally avoid statements like, “I’m not good at art”. My refrain in art class is for kids to find their thing that is artistic. “There are many gifts, but the same spirit”. (1 Corinthians) What is your artistic gift?
In addition to drawing, 5th-8th students are doing an in-depth study of the principles of design that can be found in great art throughout history. In late February they will do some formal analysis with famous works of art. I’m very impressed with how quickly they’ve picked up some deep observational skills. If you have a 5-8th grader, have them show off their new design vocabulary.
During Valentine’s week we will take a break from all this intense work and make a Camino del Corazón art installation in the hallway. Come by and take a selfie (after school!) with your kid in front of your class’ wall of hearts! It’ll only last February 12-14th, so hop in and say “hi” to me in the art room while you are at it.
Happy Art Making!
Mrs Parmeter
Struggling with Screen Time?
You're not alone!
Parents Club is hosting Yshai Boussi, L.P.C. on Thursday March 7th from 7:00 - 8:30pm in the Parish Hall to discuss Digital Parenting. He will provide guidance on effective parenting in a digital age. Discover tools to manage digital devices and ask questions about your concerns. For more information on Mr. Boussi: http://portlandfamilycounseling.com/about/yshai-boussi-lpc/
St. Stephens' Lunch Program
Thank You 8th Grade!
The weather was frightful Tuesday, and school was canceled. However, Mrs. Hanselman’s class gave me a call to see if we would deliver the lunches on Wednesday instead. And we did! The 8th graders made 135 lunches! Our friends at St. Stephen’s were surprised and so grateful when we arrived with the food. Thank you 8th graders for being so mindful and reminding us that our community work is a weekly commitment, and as such, a day late is so much better than not at all.
Counselor's Corner
Recommendation from Mrs. Ullman
Hello, Madeleine Community: Two of my favorite professionals are collaborating on a workshop in the "neighborhood" which should be a day well-spent if working with teens is a subject that interests you. Additionally, Howard will be presenting with his colleagues in May on a topic that highlights his true expertise: Healthy Masculinity. Let me know if you have any questions about these workshops or professionals. Thanks.
Carolyn Ullman, School Counselor
Helping Teens
On February 22 Howard Hiton will be teaming up with Yshai Boussi LPC, to offer a workshop at the McMenamins Kennedy School entitled, "Helping Teens: blending compassion and effectiveness with a population that may or may not want our help." We will discuss methods for engaging teens in therapy, consider the impact of technology on adolescents, look at harm reduction strategies to address teen drug use, and much more. You can register through Yshai's website. Here is a flyer with more details.
Healthy Masculinities
Then on May 11, along with his long time collaborators, Peter Mortola and Stephen Grant, Howard will share in a full day conversation entitled Promoting Healthy Masculinities: A Workshop for Parents and Professionals at the Catlin Gabel School. During that day he will explore three of the most vexing issues for those working with or parenting boys: guiding boys to develop healthy sexuality, teaching boys to own and manage their aggression, and assisting boys to form healthier relationships with devices. Stay tuned for more details and registration information.
Financial Aid Applications for 2019-'20 School Year Now Available
Deadline = March 31st
The investment you make in your child's education over the years is substantial. Everyone at The Madeleine firmly believes that a Catholic education should be accessible for all students and affordable for their families.
Please do not hesitate to apply for financial aid for the 2019/20 school year. Applications are processed by FACTS Tuition Aid, and allocations are determined by the number of people applying and the available pool of money. If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to give Susan Steele a call.
Applications for financial aid are due March 31st. You can still apply after this date, but the pool of funds available will be smaller.
Click here to apply for the 2019-2020 school year.
Apply Now for the Laskowski Family Tuition Assistance Scholarship
Deadline to apply: Friday, April 5
In November of 2010, The Madeleine School’s live auction Paddle Raise inspired donors to give $40,000 in honor of Pat and Kathy Laskowski. The Laskowskis sent five children to The Madeleine School between 1996 and 2011 and are current members of The St. Mary Magdalene Parish.
This scholarship is in addition to any financial aid you may receive from The Archdiocese of Portland Tuition Assistance Fund and/or The Madeleine School Tuition Assistance Fund.
Please submit your application to the front office of the school. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 5. The scholarship recipient will be notified by May 3.
Click here for eligibility criteria
Mardi Gras Celebration
Tuesday, March 5th
Save the Date for the Mardi Gras celebration, which equals a giant party for kids! The Gym will be filled with games including corn hole, Wii station, Spin the Wheel, cookie decorating, mask decorating and face painting! And of course, pizza! We will also be selling cold pours of beer for parents!
Prizes Needed:
Please donate prizes for the much sought after Spin the Wheel game. Prizes can be anything from Nike, Adidas, and Columbia gear (socks, headbands, baseball hats, water bottles, passes to the stores) to keychains, pencils, erasers, coloring kits…. You get the idea! Fun swag for kids! Please donate prizes as early as next week – there will be a bin in the main entry where you can place them.
Volunteers Needed:
Look for a sign-up genius in next Friday’s Footnotes where KIDS and PARENTS can sign up for volunteer hours. Middle school kids can sign up to bake cookies ahead of time, help with the games and watch the doors to be sure children do not go unattended into the Parish Hall. We’ll have all kinds of jobs for parents.
Easel Items: Spaces Still Available
Upcoming easel item events include:
- Friday Fun with the Fahertys and Father Mike, February 22 @ 6:30 pm
- Ladies Bunco Night, March 2nd
- Madeleine Hootenanny, March 8th
Click here to sign up before they sell out!
Madeleine School Inaugural Issue
In January we sent out the first digital newsletter to over 400 Madeleine alumni. We hightlighted current stories of Madeleine community service, student achievements, events and alumni updates. We plan to reach out quarterly to our alumni and focus on similar stories. If you are the parent of a Madeleine alum or know of a Madeleine alum that would like to be added to our email list or hightlighted for an upcoming issue, please email Cheri Krebs at ckrebs@themadeleine.edu.
Madeleine Bulldogs CYO News
Track and Field Registration - Now Open!
CYO TRACK & FIELD (3rd-8th Grade, Boys & Girls): CYO Track & Field provides opportunities for children 3rd-8th grades to participate. They will compete in one of three groups: Roadrunners (3rd & 4th grade), Cubs (5th & 6th grade), and Cadets (7th & 8th grade). Track season practice may begin on March 18th and continues until mid-May. There are four developmental meets during the regular season. The season culminates with a series of championship meets - Meet of Champions. Click here for more information and to register.
SCHOLARSHIPS: Scholarships are available through CYO. Click here to view and apply for a scholarship. The form can be found on the cyocamphoward.org website also. Apply early for a scholarship. Once you have been approved, you will receive a code that will allow you to register. Do not hesitate to apply if you need assistance.
Go Bulldogs!
Family Fun Community Service Project
Saturday, February 9
Dunetchka Otero-Serrano and Community Warehouse would like to invite the Madeleine Community - Parents and Kids - to participate in a FUN two-hour volunteer project on Saturday, February 9th from 10a-12p. See details below and sign up here. Please email mich@communitywarehouse.org names of all participants so they have accurate information for any kids involved as well.
Details:
Parents and kids! Come make colorful, warm, and cozy fleece throw blankets for the families who come to Community Warehouse. Community Warehouse will supply all of the materials necessary to make No-Sew Fleece Throw Blankets for clients who are moving into their new homes. What a wonderful and comforting accessory to have as clients settle into their new home. Imagine family nights on the couch wrapped in a comforting blanket. Parents and kids will work in teams of 2 to create a unique blanket for Community Warehouse to distribute to clients. Here is an example of how we will create the blankets together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTL6bEz8y5c
Community Warehouse provides essential furnishings and household items to clients who are moving into permanent housing. Most of the items we distribute are in gently-used condition. The blankets we create together will be a brand new treat, made with love and care by our volunteers. 50% of the clients we serve are kids under 18, and we hope the volunteers on this project will appreciate the very special and unique blanket they will create for a kid moving into their new home.
You're Invited!
February Events
School parents and staff are invited to join us for a screening of the new documentary “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety”.
On February 12 at 7:00PM, St. Mary’s Academy will host a special screening of the documentary to open up a dialogue between local families, community leaders and experts. The event will feature a viewing of the 56-minute film, followed by an informative panel discussion and reception.
Tickets are free but space is limited so we encourage you to reserve tickets here.
This Week’s Checklist
Click Here for a Printable Checklist
(summary of important dates and events)
Congratulations for making it all the way to the end of Friday Footnotes!
Contributing to Friday Footnotes
If you have information to contribute to Friday Footnotes, please e-mail the copy exactly as you would like it to appear in a Word document to: fridayfootnotes@themadeleine.edu. Deadline is Wednesday at 5pm, or Tuesday at 5pm if there is no school on Friday.