Red Shirting Your Kindergartner-To-Be

When my sister mentioned she was red-shirting her son who has a July birthday, I thought nothing of it.  She felt he wasn't emotionally ready for kindergarten and waiting would allow him another year of maturity.  Andrea recently sent us this thought provoking email on delaying the start of kindergarten:

I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about kindergarten for my kids. My oldest is only 3, so I'm still wrapping my mind around preschool. But a friend of mine is a kindergarten teacher, and she recently told me about a growing trend where parents purposefully hold their kids back from starting kindergarten until they're closer to 6.  It's called "red-shirting", and I guess parents are doing this with the idea that their kids, if a little older, will be better able to handle the academic and physical rigors of kindergarten, and therefore outperform their peers. 

A number of issues around kindergarten are explored in this article from last year's NY Times Magazine.  One of which is the shift in our expectation of what children should achieve in kindergarten.  At one point in our not too distant past, kindergarten was geared mostly around play, and was only half-day to boot.  Now, we expect kids to start learning to read and write in kindergarten.  Play is all but disappearing from their school day.  In this sense, delaying your child's start to kindergarten makes sense.  If kindergarten is now what first grade used to be, it makes sense that kids would do better if they were closer to six when they began.  However, this is difficult if it is not uniformly applied.  One of many challenges with red-shirting is that teachers are forced to accommodate the skill differences reflected in the growing age divide of their students.  Another is that red-shirting is only really an option to those with the means to delay their child's start in school.  If you have the money to pay for another year of preschool, or the opportunity to stay home with them for another year, you can ensure they'll have a leg-up in kindergarten.  If you can't, you have to enroll them in a class where they are learning alongside children more than a year further along in their development. 

In response to red-shirting, and more general ideas about the benefits of delaying the start to kindergarten; a number of state's are contemplating changing their cut-offs, delaying them, so that their kindergarteners will be older, and later test scores more competitive with states with later enrollment dates.  I wonder, why is it that we changed our academic expectations of kindergarteners in the first place?  Only to now work on delaying when they start because they're not ready to meet those new expectations. 

Doesn't this represent a major shift from our previous conversations about this, and from the thinking when we were kids.  Until recently, it seemed more common for parents to fight to enroll their kids earlier than the age cut-off.  Sure that, even at the later end of 4, they were prepared to start school. 

What do you think?  Is there a "right age" for kids to start kindergarten? 

Lottery Winnings?

A little birdie told me that 'tis the season to be hearing back from school lotteries, for those families who are opting to exercise the PPS school choice.  Did you participate in the lottery?  Have you heard back yet?  What did the lottery have in store for your child(ren)?  Happy with results or resigning to your spot on the waitlist?

Lottery or not, now's a chance to connect with other families at your schools.  Use the urbanMamas School Connection forum to do so!

Welcome to Auction Season!

The auction season is well on its way, as the recent Portland Public School e-newsletter alerted us.  We have two children at separate schools, and we have already worked the events, scoured businesses for donations, wined & dined at the event.  Have  you?

Our two schools are very different in nature: one more established institution with a large group of well-connected parents that brings in the school enough money to buy a small house (in some parts of the country) and one newer school whose auction this year was only its 3rd and still has much more room to grow.

Well, here are some things I never knew about the world of PPS auctions:

• Auctions helped schools raise over $1M in 2007
• The Portland School Board allows a school to keep the first $10,000 raised.
• A third of anything above the $10,000 raised is given to an "Equity Fund" at the Portland Schools Foundation for distribution through grants to schools across the district.  "It’s one way for schools to spread the wealth."

Says PPS:

The school district and foundation are sensitive to the fact that some school communities have the resources to raise money, while others don’t. But years of budget cutbacks have left all schools scrambling to maintain academic support for students and programs such as the arts, PE and library. Half of PPS schools receive federal Title I funds because they serve higher-than-average shares of kids from lower-income homes. Title I revenue is far greater than any amount raised at auctions, but those schools have greater needs, and still have trouble maintaining their programs.

Auction season is unique to Portland (and perhaps Oregon) schools.  It is a sign of our inability to fund complete programs at our schools.  Friends with children at schools in the Bay Area, New York, or New Jersey say that auctions are uncommon.  Some schools with endowments (!) will have auctions to fundraise to maintain and grow their endowments.  But, here in Portland, schools established or not are raising funds for enrichment programs, to build libraries, to fund improvements at their schools.  On some days, it makes me angry.

Other days, I do appreciate being given the opportunity to contribute time and effort to my school community, and to get to know other parents in the process.  Auction planning can be fun and auction-going  can be funner.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on auction season.  Do you get involved?  Do you go?  Do you know what programs or improvements at your school auction proceeds fund?  Have you had your auction yet?  Or, have always seen signs for the auction but cannot / don't want to go?  Does your school have a non-auction major fundraiser?

PPS Food: Good, Bad, Getting Better?

Hey!  We're chatting about PPS food over on Activistas.  Got opinions?  Experience to share?  Involved in improving it?  Join the conversation, we're learning a lot.  Like how little money there is to spend on food (when was the last time you ate lunch for $1??). Plus, there's a bill before the legislature this month that you might want to support.  Read on, weigh in, and call your legislator in Salem.  All over on Activistas.

When it's a "SNOW DAY", what do you do?

As much as I love the sight of puffy white stuff coming from the sky, I dread how it can have an effect on our schedules.  Today, a Saturday, is a great day for a snow day, a day to stay inside and watch the flakes come down.  But, if the weather is like this on Monday, a school day, and if our school is closed (see HERE for the PPS inclement weather e-hotline), what are we to do, if it is supposed to be a work day for us?  If you work outside the home and have a "snow day" school closure, what do you do?

Welcome to uM's School Connections

In our informal gathering of parents who discussed their experiences with Portland Public Schools and the choice that goes along with it, we heard that many mamas and papas would like the opportunity to connect with other parents at other schools.  Parents are interested in hearing from other parents: how do they like their schools?  How do they not like their schools?

We have created the urbanMamas School Connections forum, in an effort to connect parents at schools.  Have at it and share as you always have.  We haven't started threads on all the schools yet, so if you want to hear about a specific school, shoot us an email and we'll have it up asap. 

Monday Morning: It's a 2-Hour Delay

** UPDATED ***

8:19AM:  All West-side schools and all schools in the Roosevelt cluster are closed on Monday.  All other schools are on 2-hour delay.

6:24AM:  In case you haven't heard yet, PPS is on a two-hour delay today.  For future reference, here is the PPS inclement weather website.

Looking to link with other Vernon Elementary parents

It's that time of year for us parents of 4 and maybe 5 year olds...  Time to check the listings for Kindergarten Round-up dates if we're enrolling our children in the neighborhood school.  This can be a nerve-wracking time for many parents, but I know that our neighborhood school has a strong community and parental involvement level, which is why I'm so excited to register my child there.  Erica, however, is trying to look into ways of connecting with other parents at her neighborhood school to strengthen the parental and community and involvement.  She writes:

My daughter will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall 08'.  We are thinking about having her attend her neighborhood school, Vernon Elementary.  We are just amazed that only 42% of the Vernon neighborhood kids attend their neighborhood school.  My husband and I would like to set up a meeting with other Vernon families.  We would like to work with other families in the neighborhood to encourage more parent involvement at Vernon Elementary.  That seems to be the biggest problem with this school.

So, if there are any other parents thinking of sending their kids to Vernon, maybe drop her a line.  I bet she's not the only one out there looking to work on this project...

All-Day Kindergarten in PPS: Good, Bad, Illegal?

My, my.  And I thought the debate about all-day kindergarten in PPS was about issues like equity, learning opportunities, and working parents' schedules.  Turns out it might just be illegal!  Yikes.  And while that seems, at first glance, like a bad thing, maybe it's not.  Maybe the silver lining is that this issue will finally get a good, hard, realistic look here in Oregon.  Read more over on Activistas and, of course, chime in!  How has the full-day kindergarten option affected your family?  Got any ideas about solving this conundrum?   Stories from the trenches?

Charter Schools: Here, There & Everywhere

New ones opening, existing ones bursting at the gills.  What's the story?  Charter schools are all the rage.  Should they be?  Are they the best thing since sliced bread in the educational world?  Have a kid at one in Portland?  Head on over to Activistas to read a bit more on the topic and share your thoughts & experiences with other mamas.  And while you're there, you can learn a thing or two about Multnomah County in our Activistas 101 'How To' series.  Who's your county commissioner?  Don't know?  Plug in over on Activistas. 

Kindergarten Age Cut Off

uMamas, We've received another question from an Arizona mama hoping to move to Portland soon.  Beyond our previous 'planning for kindergarten' discussion, can you share more of your experiences and insight about the September 1 cut-off and experiences with having a child tested for early entry into kindergarten?  Any experiences moving to Portland mid-year and finding a spot at a school?

We are considering a move to Portland.  My daughter is already in Kindergarten here in AZ and thriving at it.  The problem is that her birthday is October 3rd, so she is a month and 2 days shy of the Oregon birthday cutoff for Kindergarteners.  She's a young K-G'ner here as well, and goes to a charter with a looser admission rule than our local elementary district. She has been in school for 3 years and I like where she is at, academically and socially.  What I would like to know is whether any of your readers have been in a similar situation.  Will  many schools let her test in to Kindergarten mid-year?  Are they likely to have the space for her?  Thanks for your help and I look forward to being one of your future readers!

Will you Bike or Walk to School?

This Wednesday, October 3, is the 2007 Bike & Walk to School Day.  In an effort to get in our faces, grab our attention, and/or shame us into walking or biking, a Willy Week editorial reads, "Driving is Lazy".  With Portland Public Schools offering school choice wherein many families opt for schools beyond their neighborhood schools, it may not be as easy to just walk or bike to school.

There are 37 or so participating schools in Portland, both public and private.  Is your school on the list?  Even if it isn't, will you be able to walk or bike to school?  Carpool or take the bus/MAX? 

Bringing Healthy Food to the Classrooms

Meg poses an interesting question and seeks some wisdom from urbanMamas:

I am a high school teacher and I teach a course called environmental issues.  As part of the on-going guiding question of “How do you impact the environment and how can this be measured?” I wanted to do a weekly bit on healthy eating; healthy for the planet and healthy for the student.  My idea was to get a local farm or grocery store to donate organic fruit that was all locally grown.  I approached my administration with this idea and was told that I could only serve prepackaged food in class…. In other words, soda, chips, pizza, doughnuts, candy are all a-ok, but not organic fruit.  What are your experiences with what is acceptable to serve in the public school classroom?  Are there any loopholes I could squeeze through?  I know I can’t cook anything, but I thought raw foods were ok.  What would be the best way to go about changing this policy in a time efficient manner?  Lastly, does anyone have any connections with Washington County organic farms just in case I get this off the ground?

Seeking Public School Rankings

Time and time again, we receive emails from mamas and papas moving to Portland and seeking advice on neighborhoods (would you recommend yours?).  To that end, parents moving to Portland wonder about our schools.  Which schools are top-ranked and would you try to find a home close to those schools?  There are the Oregon School Rankings, which is so daunting to me with the graphs and reams of data.  There is also GreatSchools.Net, which ranks Portland public schools based on the 2005-2006 Oregon Statewide Assessment for reading, math, and science.

A friend is considering moving to Portland from Brooklyn writes:

I was wondering if there was a site that ranks schools in a way that is fairly easy to understand.

Mamas, share your wisdom and insight on Portland Public Schools!

Kindergarten: Raise your hand if you're scared!

If you haven't noticed my eldest son, Everett, is starting kindergarten in 10 days, well, you probably have noticed. I'm terrified and excited and nervous and thrilled all at once. A friend a few neighborhoods over emailed, hoping to get together with some other prospective kindergarteners at Abernethy to quell her son's fears -- but Everett's going to Grout! I'd love to meet some to-be-newbies in my own neck of the woods. I wonder how many other mamas are equally nerve-wracked.

Is your oldest child starting kindergarten this fall? Or are you a recent transplant with a child entering a new school where you know next to no one? Or are you the parent of a transfer student? Please pipe up if you'd like to meet other like-minded fellow mamas and kiddos; where is your little one starting school this year?

Where to get School Supplies

Many of us are gearing up for the start of school in a few weeks.  A question came in from Jess about where families can get affordable school supplies:

I just registered my five year-old for kindergarten.  Wow!  Who knew the list of school supplies...for KINDERGARTEN would be so extensive?  It seems the school wants multiple packs of everything from sharpies to kleenex to dry erase markers to glue stix to additional money for a canvas bag students will be decorating (sans a backpack).

Now, I teach in a public school and am very PRO public school, but my wonder-hubby recently quit his job to attend nursing school full-time.  To say we do not have two pennies to rub together after mortgage is paid and food is purchased is not much of an understatement.  We want to provide the teacher with all of the (multiple packs) of items on the list.

Does anyone know the cheapest place for said school supplies?

Just a few weeks left - counting down to school

Portland Public Schools kicks off the 2007-2008 school year in just three short weeks.  Will your child be going to school for the first time?  What sorts of things have you been doing to get ready for school?  Stocking up on the back-to-school suppply list that the school sent you?

We caught wind of a new product by Portland-company Blue Lake Children's Publishing.  It's called the Kindergarten Countdown Toolkit, and it comes with a DVD, a stack of Tessy & Tab magazines, and a kindergarten checklist.  The checklist has great tips for building up to the first day and week of school: visit the school, prepare for riding the bus or commuting to school, routinize the sleeping schedule, make a list for things to bring to school, and -- my personal favorite tip -- plan a special "first day" family dinner.

Another great idea is to start to get to know new families at your new school.  We've already been invited to our daughter's new school's end-of-summer picnic, and we already have our older daughter's back-to-school picnic on our calendars.  Sarah C recently posted that she belongs to a google group for her daughter's school, Beach Elementary.  We are figuring that there are many school  yahoo/google groups out there -- like Alameda Elementary, Creston School, Arthur Academy -- are there more?

Kindergarten is truly one of those first milestones you will definitely not forget.  Megan's daughter will be starting this fall, she asks:

Stella is starting Kindergarten (too soon!) at Vernon, and I'd love to find some other families to have some playdates so she might have a familiar face or two on her first day of school.  Do you guys know of anyone?

Are you in the same situation as Megan and would like to meet others from your school?  Start posting in the comments and let's see if we can help any of you connect! Any other ideas on how to prepare for the next school year, especially for those who are just starting their first days?  Three weeks will be gone before we know it!

Moving to Portland & Seeking Advice!

In the most recent "Cities Ranked and Rated", a study of 400 metropolitan areas ranks Portland at number 3.  Even the Places Rated Almanac shows Portland at the top of list, as number 4.  Here at urbanMamas, we know we have a great thing.  We've had numerous conversations here about sense of place and our neighborhoods.  Many of us have lived in different cities and have made the decision to move to and stay in Portland.  Simply put, Portland's 'da bomb'.

Many of us know what it's like to research online to find the perfect neighborhood, school, and community.  We've received a few recent emails from folks moving to Portland, asking specific questions and seeking your input, advice, and suggestions. 

Amy and her family are moving to Portland from the Bay Area:

My husband and I are finally carrying out the dream we've talked about for years: Moving from the Bay Area to Portland.  I grew up in Southern Oregon, and came to the Bay Area for grad school, as did my husband.  Then we just kind of stuck around here. Now, we both work from home, have a toddler son, and we're ready to move. We really want to live near shops, good public schools, and parks —after commuting an hour each way every day to work for eight years, I'm done with driving for a while! Here are the neighborhoods we like:  Irvington, Alameda,
Beaumont, and Laurelhurst. (We want to live really close-in, even Mount Tabor and Multnomah Village felt a little too far for us). Does anyone have thoughts on those neighborhoods, in terms of being family-friendly, close to things, safe, and having good public elementary schools?  Also, some friends recommended we check out the west hills area and NW, but I was unsure after driving around there if young families live there and couldn't tell if the vibe was as friendly
as NE?  Seems like Chapman and Ainsworth are good schools, but I really want to be close to other families and good stuff to do with my son (libraries, parks, museums, etc). Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

National Teacher Day tomorrow!

Tomorrow, May 8, is National Teacher Day.  We know so many of us are privileged with wonderful, inspirational, patient and nurturing teachers in our lives.  Do you have something planned to celebrate your teacher tomorrow?

Parents as Leaders of Your PPS

The other evening, our daughter's school held a community visioning meeting, to talk about where the school is headed. I was in a room of about 50 or so concerned, insightful, and empowered(ing) parents asking prodding questions about our schools direction, sharing meaningful input, showing tremendous support for what our school does every day with our children. It was great energy; I felt like many of us were inspired to do more to improve the school and to grow the school. I thought to myself, "We are part of the bestest school community EVER."

When I thought about what other parents from other schools have shared with me about their respective school communities, it occurred to me that we are ALL part of the bestest school community EVER. I know we are not alone in thinking that we have a wonderful school community and that we have the opportunity to affect change. Not to get all warm and fuzzy -- but, parents do have a tangible role in each school's administration and policy.

Curious about learning more about how parents can be change agents at your local PPS? The 6th Annual Parent Leadership Conference is coming up, hosted by Community & Parents for Public Schools.

Come network with parents from across the District, learn how other schools are increasing parent involvement, and get ideas you can use at your school and home. At the end of the morning, dialogue with PPS superintendent Vicki Phillips about what support parents need to help their children succeed. The event is Co-sponsored by Portland Public Schools & the Portland Schools Foundation, this event is free. Childcare and translation services are available if you pre-register.

Saturday, April 21, 2007
8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Benson High School, 546 NE 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

Some ideas from the other evening that we are pondering - a vegetable garden to be used to make hot lunches for the children, partnering with arts and other institutions to broaden the children's exposure to learning about new disciplines, fully utilizing all that the city has to offer in the way of public parks, public transit, public facilities. Do you have a wonderful program that your parent community is instituting or has already instituted at your PPS school?

Thoughts on Arthur Academy?

An urbanMama and an urbanPapa would love to hear from you.  They are considering a PPS charter school, of which there are now five (for lower elementary grades) in the Portland Public School district.  In specific, they are looking at Arthur Academy:

We're hoping to hear from people whose children have attended one of the Arthur Academy charter schools.  We know they use Direct Instruction, which we've read up on extensively. We're still trying to decide what we think about it. But more importantly, we're interested in the experiences - positive, negative, neutral, anything, that parents whose children have attended can offer.  Did your child enjoy school and learn?  What concerns did you have?  Was the lack of usual school amenities like libraries, cafeterias, auditoriums, a problem?

So many people (perschool teachers, parent friends who have experience in teaching who are considering it for kindergarten, etc) tell me it is a wonderful program but I have yet to hear from any actual parents with kids who have attended or do attend. Any feedback at all would be much appreciated!

International Schools and Immersion Programs

Here in Portland, we believe we have a wealth of educational choices.  On such choice is language study.  Portland Public Schools offer language immersion programs: Ainsworth, Atkinson, Beach offers Spanish Immersion; Woodstock offers Mandarin Immersion; Richmond offers Japanses.

The International School also offers language study (Chinese, Japanese, Spanish) for our children.  Melinda, in a previous conversation on kindergartens, says:

Giving our daughter a bilingual education is a real priority for us. We went to an open house at the International School last night. They offer immersion programs in Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese from pre-school to grade 5. Does anyone have any experience, both positive and maybe not-so-positive, with the International School?

Happy President's Day!

My manager just said, "Wait!  Schools are closed on Monday?  And office is closed on Monday?"  I said, "Uh, hm.  Yes."

So, what do you all have planned?  Many of our favorite museums are normally closed on Mondays, but they open their doors on Monday holidays.  So, head to OMSI or the Childrens Museum, and you'll probably see many friends and families there with the same idea.  Are there any other fun activities scheduled for the Monday Holiday?  SCRAP has a great workshop offering from 10AM to noon, for kids 5 and up.  Also, the Contemporary Crafts Museum does School's Out / Art's In! Classes for Kids.  This upcoming Monday, there's Japanese dyeing techniques for kids in grades 1-6 from 9:30 to 3:30.  Any other suggestions for fun times for the school holiday?

Have you had your kindergarten roundup yet?

I'm not great with details, I'll admit it, and dimly recalled that March was the month to register kids for kindergarten in the fall. Wasn't I surprised a few days ago when I stopped by my neighborhood Starbucks and saw a flier for kindergarten roundup at Grout Elementary -- where Everett will be going in the fall -- and saw that it was Thursday, February 15 (at 6:30, if anyone's in my neighborhood). Gulp.

That's when I started Googling for the district-wide calendar [pdf link] and realized, much to my consternation, that the "roundup" had already passed for most schools in the city. Never fear, though, if you're the parent of a kindergartener-to-be at schools including Abernethy, Atkinson, Bridger, Creston, Hayhurst, Humboldt, Irvington, James John, Kelly, Lewis, Llewellyn, Markham, Peninsula, Rigler, Rosa Parks, Scott, Whitman, Woodmere, or Woodstock, you still have time to make it -- barely. Most of the roundups are this week or next week, so make sure and give your local school a call or check the link.

Of course, you can always register for your neighborhood school, even if it's the day before the school year begins next September. And I'm not even sure what happens at these roundups, but I understand it's harder to get into full-day kindergarten (free at many neighborhood schools, like Grout) if you don't register early. If you're interested in entering the lottery for special programs like language immersion or charter schools, you'll need to start filling out forms now.

Although I'm very eager for Everett to start school and I'm happy with my neighborhood choice, I'm terrified -- I feel behind the ball already! Anyone want to report on kindergarten roundup and help ease my fears?

Healthy Foods for Healthy Students

Today, there's a bill being introduced to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to get junk food out of Oregon's schools. The bill sets nutrition standards on snack foods and beverages sold in schools for sugar content, fat, saturated fat and calories. These standards are consistent with a law passed in California and with national guidelines negotiated by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. We know many of us are conscientious about what we eat and where our foods come from. This effort will make healthy food in more available in schools to make sure schools model good eating habits in addition to teaching nutrition in the classroom. Read more at Upstream Public Health.

And, if you feel so inclined, call your legislator and let 'em know what you think.

Keep Unhealthy Drinks out of PPS!

Before this school year started, all soft drinks, non-100% juices and sports drinks were removed from Portland Public Schools (PPS) vending machines.  Due to increasing concern about the epidemic of childhood obesity, PPS enacted a number of healthy changes to make the nutrition environment better in all schools.  Coke employees were kept informed of this process.

Now Coke is pressuring Portland Public Schools for making these healthy changes, even though PPS now has a policy dictating healthy vending machine options. Portland Public Schools should not be fined for doing the right thing for the health of our students!  We cannot allow Coke to dictate the sale of unhealthy beverages to our kids in our schools! Tell Coca-Cola Enterprises to leave Portland Public Schools alone! Coke should support PPS’ efforts to improve children’s health and respect PPS’ autonomy in deciding how to do that.

Call Matt Wilson, Coca-Cola Market Unit VP, 503-682-5107.  Join PPS Citizen Wellness Advisory Committee this Saturday to support PPS to keep kids healthy!

Portland Exposition Center
2060 North Marine Drive, Portland, OR 97217
February 3, 2007 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

The PPS Citizen Wellness Advisory Committee (WAC) invites you to join us in saying “Keep our vending machines healthy!”  At the Celebrate! PPS event, visit the WAC booth # 134 to call Coke or sign a petition to voice your support of PPS’ beverage changes. Let’s keep liquid candy out of our students’ hands. For more information, please contact Sara Leverette, Chair of the PPS Citizen Wellness Advisory Committee at 503-381-0821 or saraleverette@gmail.com.

Celebrate! Portland Public Schools

The season of school info, selection and such is in FULL swing. Most schools are having informational events as well as providing opportunities to tour classrooms. Check with individual schools to find out what on-campus events they may have planned - including what events may be REQUIRED if you are considering a charter school.

THE BIG EVENT where you can get an overview on the myriad of educational choices at every Portland Public School is this Saturday, February 3 from 10:00 am to 3:00pm at the Portland Expo Center: “Celebrate! Portland Public Schools.”

A lot of fun activities are planned for the day in addition to learning about individual schools and the mechanics of the enrollment process. You can find out more info by calling 503-916-3304 or checking the website.

Let it snow!!

Since the time I got up at 6 AM this morning, the snow has been falling, falling, and falling. What a contrast to last Thursday, when PPS declared a "snow day", even though it was sunny and snowless in our parts of the city.

Today, though, is a much, much different story. I kept checking the PPS weather site and KGW again and again. At 7:30 AM, even though the snow kept falling, the page still said that PPS was on a regular school schedule. Not even a two-hour delayed opening!

Then, as I was waiting with Philly at the bus stop, another waiting bus-rider got a call. "Whoo hoo!" she said, "I'm going home!" She was a high school teacher who had just gotten an official call from the Chief of High Schools. It sounded official. PPS declared a snow day. As lovely and fluffy as it is outside, I am a bit frustrated at how late the School District made the decision. I think it was about 7:45 AM when they closed all schools.

It took me about an hour to decide what I ought to do about my own fate. I am a full-time mama working outside the home. My workplace is open normal business hours today, although I cannot believe how any business in the Metro PDX area can be open normal business hours. If I decided not to go in, would I be docked sick/vacation time? I know that isn't the major factor when safety is an issue, but - still - it hovers at the back of my mind. When I heard that bus lines were closing down, though, I decided not to rethink it.

What are you all up to? Snow day? Did you go into work? Work from home? Bring out the sleds and snow boots for outside play?

Getting Ready for Auctions

Auction season is right around the corner, and many of us will be involved in organizing, procuring, and advertising. Auctions are employed by our schools small and large, private and public, preschool and elementary. Not only is it a great way to raise funds for a school, it's also usually a fun way to socialize with teachers, administrators, and parents of the school community. Shane is working on organizing classroom projects for auction at the event:

We are getting ready for our annual auction fundraiser at my daughter's school. Does anyone have any ideas for classroom projects that worked well?

Planning for Kindergarten

Sometimes it seems like the Kindergarten cut-off is a bit arbitrary.  September is a common month, with a least 20 states using a day in September as the cut-off.  We found a partial list different states' cut-off dates here.  There are reasons to wait, and there are reasons to try to see if your child should enter kindergarten with the rest of his/her friends.  Jessica wonders:

My son is a September baby and so misses the public school kindergarten cut-off date. That means that all his pre-school friends will be going on to kindergarten without him. It’s not that I think he’s some kind of crazy genius, but I do think he’s ready to go on to kindergarten – he’s got great social skills, which is probably the most important thing. On the other hand I don’t want to push him, but I also don’t relish the thought of another year of the same class.

It seems crazy to have to think about this so far in advance, but I guess the testing would need to get done soon. So.  Anybody got suggestions?  Anybody gone through the testing the school district requires for early admission?

Her First Slumber Party

Our biggest girl was invited to her very first slumber party. Her very first! Overnighter! Sleepover party! It was a big enough step for us to drop off our daughter at birthday parties and not stay at said party watching over her. Now, a whole night away from us?

We've met the host parent maybe a couple of times. We've noticed the celebrant during class visits; she and our daughter seem to get along great. Other than that, we don't know too much about the celebrant and her family. Our sixth sense tells us we are comfortable and trusting, but ... are we?

When I asked my mother, "What should I be mindful of when she sleeps at her classmate's/girlfriend's house?" She said, "Ask if she has an older brother. An older brother is a red flag." Um, shrug. Ok, that's a little OLD SCHOOL. But, is it?

When I asked a colleague the same question, she said, "Ask them if they have firearms in the house and how they're kept." Um, huh?

When I asked another friend, she told me how her mother would always call in the evening and ask, "Do you want me to pick you up?" And, she could easily say, "Yes, mama" or "No, mama", without her hosts knowing what her mother was asking.

Ok, urbanMamas, I need to ask you. What would you do, what would you ask, how would you feel ok, how would you make yourself feel most at ease?

Holiday Camps?

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone (although the leftovers still abound), we're looking ahead to holiday fun, like holiday crafty stuffs.  But, for many of us, we will also be faced with needing to find some all-day holiday cheer for our kids whose schools or daycares will be closed.  There are holiday camps, similar to summer camps, offered at larger institutions or community centers:

Children's Museum Camp runs from December 18 through 22, the full week before Christmas.  Full-time care can run from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, then there is additional aftercare offered until 5:30 PM.

Oregon Zoo offers 1/2-day camps for children ages 4 through Kindergarteners for $12-14 per day.  Full-day sessions for children in grades 1 through 4 are $27-35 per day.  Good animal winter fun!

Portland Parks & Rec offers Wild Winter Wonderland at the following community centers: Mt. Scott, Fulton Park, Matt Dishman, and East Portland.  Another offering (which seems to be the same offering) is Winter Madness at Sellwood, Hillside, University Park, Southwest Community Center, Montavilla, St. Johns, and Peninsula.  Some centers offer the whole week, others centers register day-by-day.

Do you have any other suggestions for finding holiday childcare or camp fun?  Aisha writes:

Can anyone recommend a good day care for the Xmas break in the North/Northeast Portland area--my hubby's 7 year old is going to be with us on Christmas break at a last minute's notice and we both have to work.  I have tons of recommendations in SE but nothing around our neck of the woods, any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated.  Something like a winter break camp would be perfect--sports or art related in particular.  Thanks for the help and have a great holiday!

Emerson School Auction

'Tis the season for school fundraisers. Sareena wrote us to let us know that Emerson School is holding theirs this Saturday:

As a charter school, Emerson receives 80% of it's funding via Portland Public Schools. The remaining 20% is raised via donations and fundraising.

This Saturday, the 11th of November, we invite people to attend our second annual Emerson School Auction, held at PNCA, in the Pearl District. Proceeds from the auction are used to offset full-day Kindergarten fees for lower-income families as well as hopefully funding a new and needed Emerson School Library.

Tickets are $25 a person and include hors d'oeuvres, beer & wine and live music! Auction items run the gamut from spa baskets to portrait sessions, massages to week-long getaways in Mexico!

We hope to see you there. Please call 503-525-6124 for tickets.

Rose City Race - May 20, 2006

It's 'Amazing Race', Portland-style.  Teams of two will solve riddles, follow clues, and complete a variety of challenges throughout the city whie competing for fun prizes.  Registration fee of $40 per team will be directly donated to your Portland Public School of choice.

The Rose City Race is a unique urban adventure that tests participants' limits in navigation, teamwork, flexbile thinking and stamina as they search for RacePoints scattered in unknown locations throughout the city.  Forty two-person teams will run, walk, and use public transit to navigate their way throughout the city to find the designated RacePoints.  The first team to cross the finish line wins!

RaceDate: Saturday, May 20
RaceTime: 10 AM to 2 PM
After-Race Party: 2 PM to 4 PM

For tickets or questions, contact Sarah Stephens.

Childpeace, Emerson, .... Thoughts?

We are faced with two really great opportunities for our daughter next year.  She'll be in the 1st grade, and the two options are: Childpeace Montessori and the Emerson School.

Childpeace is is a Montessori elementary school recognized by AMI.  Their space in the Northwest is nurturing, bright, and safe.  We feel like our daughter could thrive there, be happy there, love to learn there.  BUT, a couple of major drawbacks of the school include 1) cost and 2) lack of ethnic and socioeconomic diversity.

Emerson is a charter school in the Portland Public School system.  Their location in the Northwest (on the North Park Blocks) sometimes feels a little cramped.  We love how integrated into the city and into the world at large the students become, as a function of the school's child-directed project approach.

I'm wondering if anyone has any insight or perspective to share on either school?  Do you have a child who goes there?  Or know someone who goes there?  We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Richmond Elementary School: Spring Festival, Sat 4/22

Thanks, Alison, for the heads up!

If you are looking for something fun to do with the kids this Saturday head on over to Richmond Elementary School in SE. They are hosting their Spring festival which will have a ton of activities for individuals of all ages. The aim is to have it resemble a Japanese spring festival with activity booths, yummy foods and entertainment. For more information check out their website.

It is April 22, 2006 at 11am-5pm.
Richmond is located at 2276 SE 41st Ave.

Our schools

Yet another family moving to Portland! Here's what Nora is wondering about:

We are relocating from San Francisco to Portland for my husband's job, and we are in the process of looking for a house. I am so confused about which elementary schools are good, even though I've looked at the Oregon Department of Education website. I also am confused about whether the public schools in Portland are in the midst of a crisis. Any advice about which elementary schools are the best? And will they stay strong for the long haul through our three children's education?

Summer is right around the corner, Part 4

Ok, so I'm not so good at consolidating all of these summer camps. Thanks, Kat, for the reminder about Rowanberry School's summer program:

Rowanberry School Summer Art Camp offers two sessions, each 3 weeks long, T-W-Th, from 9AM to 1PM. The first session runs July 11 to 27; the second session runs August 1 to 17th. Cost per session is $325. The first session focuses on painting techniques with watercolor, acryllics, and tempera. The second session focuses on clay sculpting. Teacher/owner Angela says the camps will have "a focused art component each day, but it is really 'low key', plenty of time to play in the treehouse or garden, run through the sprinklers, make lemonade, you know, all the essentials of summer!"

Summer is right around the corner, Part 3

Thank you, Blair, for your comprehensive list of suggestions on summer camps!  Without further ado, here are some additional suggestions for summer program offerings:

Camp Vida (*pdf)at Providence Montessori, 4911 NE Couch St, 503-215-2409.  The *pdf links to the 2005 program; they're still working on the 2006 program.  I called and the program should be about the same.  It looks like it starts 6/19, runs 5 2-week sessions each with different themes.  Cost is about $95 per wk for half day / $195 per week for full day, and there are before- and after-care options for more money.

Franciscan Montessori Earth School, 14750 SE Clinton, 503-760-8220.  I spoke to someone yesterday and they're mailing a brochure for the summer program. Schoolita Alegria, 1814 NE 33rd, 503-288-5574.  They offer Bilingual School Summer Camp Fun, 6/26-8/10, Ages 3-8, includes Spanish, Art, Movement, Small Class Size.

Harmony Montessori, 1740 SE 139th, 503-255-5337.  The 2005 Summer Camp info can be found here.  I spoke to the director yesterday, she's super nice, and she's working on the brochure right now.  She said it will run from the last week of June through August, a 7-week program.  There are 3, 4, and 5 day options and it runs from 9am -3pm.  Ages 3-6.

Sunnyside Montessori House of Children, SE 122nd in Happy Valley, 503-698-4203.  Summer Daycare open from 6:30 am to 6 pm, M-F from the beginning of July to the end of August.  Full day, includes lunch & 2 snacks, $450/month. Half day, includes lunch & 1 snack, $350/month. Daily rate, includes lunch & 2 snacks, $27/day. Hourly rate, $4/hour.  I got this info in December so it may need to be updated.  The school serves kids 3-6, potty trained, so I assume the summer camp does too.

International School, Language Immersion Summer Camp, ages 3 - 5th grade, Downtown, 503-226-2496.  There are four sessions, each 2 weeks, from June 19 to August 11. Themes are: Solar System, Forest Life, Planet Earth, and Exploring the Ocean. For older kids there are OMSI workshops with additional themes, trips to the zoo and to Waterfront Park, swimming at RiverPlace Athletic Club.  Half day sessions (2 weeks) are $300, full day $400 and daycare is available until 6pm.  Snacks are provided, but you must provide lunch.

Willowbrook Outdoor Summer Arts Program, 503-691-6132.  The program looks like a big, true summer camp, at a park in Tualatin, but it also accepts children as young as 3 year olds.  Looks interesting.  The sessions run from June 26 to August 4, M-F, 9am-3:15pm. Drama & Theater, Music, Dance, Arts, Crafts, Nature, Writing, World Arts, Ceramics, Basketry, Weaving, Photography.  Attend weekly or daily, full or half day, aftercare is available.

Summer is right around the corner, Part 2

(A follow-up to the previous post on campsSummer is right around the corner)...  I came across two other fullish-day summer programs that sounded neat.  And, please email other suggestions!

Summer Academy at the Emerson School: There are weekly sessions (running M-F, 9AM-3PM, $200 per session) in multi-age groups.  The programs, conducted by licensed school teachers, sound awesome: "Math in the City" for K-5th graders; "Metro Mapping" for K-5th graders; "Portland Poetry Workshop" for K-5th graders; "Summer City Treasure Hunt" for 2nd-5th graders; "Creative Writing Workshop" for K-5th graders.  Sounds awesome!

Growing Seeds North, Summer School-Age Program:  The program will serve children aged 6 to 10 years old, and there will be one classroom of 15 children each session.  Program runs from 7AM to 6PM, and there will be a two-week long session focus areas.  The five sessions for the summer are: Claude Monet, M.C. Escher, Pointillism, Pablo Picasso, Photography & Sculpture.  Cost is $150 per week and you can choose weeks from June 19 to Sept 1.  More info at 503.288.1171.

How would you save $57 million?

We all know that the Portland Public School system is short some cash for next year, roughly $57 million give or take a buck.  PPS is now taking your thoughts:  How would you balance the budget for Portland Public Schools?  Cut administrative spending, cut programs like athletics or Outdoor school, close 4, 6, 10, or 13 schools, reduce staff at schools and increase the student/teacher ratio anywhere from 24.5 to 27.5, limit wage increases, limit contributions toward employees' health care, tap into a one-time funding source, cut a week of school or shorten the school year, spend toward longer-term investments.  There are choices, but many of them look bleak.  PPS is collecting your thoughts via the web-based worksheets.  The website states: "Your ideas will help inform the discussion as the Superintendent and School Board make their budget decisions."

Summer is right around the corner, Part 1

So, I know we just had snow today, but I'm still thinking about the summer, which is just three months away! Our biggest girl is 5-1/2 this summer, and I am hoping that she'll have more summer options than before. Here's our list with some highlights (she's not going to all, but these are just a 'few' of the things we're thinking about):

Ethos Music Camp: For five (non-consecutive) weeks through the summer, from late June to the end of August, Ethos offers a variety of music camps focusing on guitar, percussion, piano, strings, and even hip-hop and rock band ensembles. Cost is $195 per week, from 9-5 daily, grades K-12. Ethos is a well-respected music school with several community programs for school-aged children. Each child can enroll for a maximum of 2 sessions per summer.

Grace Art Institute Camps: Last year, it was India. This year, it's Greece. This summer Grace Art Institute summer camp will explore the fascinating and historical Greek culture. Cultural folktales are the heart of each week's curriculum and campers choose to immerse themselves in a variety of performing and visual arts, including dance & music, drama, glass art, ceramics & sculpture, fibre arts, visual arts, book arts. Cost is $205 per session, from 9-3 daily with a Friday art celebration, ages 4-12. (Before & After care can be arranged.)

smARTworks / PNCA: for 1st graders to middle school, this year's focus is storytelling. Cost is $235 per week and camp runs 8-5pm.

Children's Museum summer camps: These are among the pricier ones, but I thought I'd still put it out there. Camp runs 8:30 to 2:30 ($200) with aftercare available ($90). Still, there is art, drama, activities, games, crafts.

Audobon Society: "Audubon Summer Camps inspire children to love and protect nature, in the very best way, by exploring, learning, and having fun." Camps run for ten weeks throughout the summer. Half-day (9-1) sessions for first graders, and full-day sessions for 2nd graders and older. I can't find the cost in an obvious place online, so let me know if you find it!

Oregon Zoo Summer Camps: Use interactive activities, crafts, zoo exploration to learn more about the animals. All camps include guided zoo tours, animal visits in the classrooms, Discover Birds show, visits to the family farm and pygmy goat kraal, lorikeet feeding, songs, games, stories, a train ride (except Penguin Camp), snacks and a ZooCamp t-shirt. 3rd – 8th grade camps include a visit to the Washington Park play structure and Elephant Barn picnic shelter. Half-day camps for kindergarteners ($85 for members/$100 for non-member); full-day camps for 1st graders and up ($190 for members/$220 for non-members). Before and after care available.

YMCA - Camp Collins: Day camp for children in grades 1-6. "Campers will participate in archery, arts and crafts, hiking, nature activities, climbing tower, field games, and believe it or not, much more!" Camp runs for 9 sessions; fees are a sliding scale ranging from $165 to $215 per week. Daily bus service to camps run from Alameda school (NE), Gresham and the North Clackamas Aquatic Center.

Camp Ky-O-Wa: "Explore a trail in the woods, enjoy the cool waters of a lake, try your luck at fishing, bounce on a trampoline, sing camp songs, and discover other fun summer activities. Camp Ky-O-Wa is an integrated day camp for children ages 5-11, with and without disabilities." Sponsored by Portland Parks & Recreation.

Summer Nature Camp: Also by Portland Parks & Recreation, for children ages 5-12, week-long sessions "provide youngsters with a firsthand experience with nature through hiking, storytelling, scientific observations, and forest crafts."

OMSI Summer Science Camps: Junior Naturalist camp, Naturalist camp, Adventure camps. These camps are serious all-week camps at various locations throughout the state. Without a doubt, our kids could get an invaluable experience (camps run $385 for the week). But, our biggest girl is still eons away from spending the whole day and night away from us! Programs run for youth ages 7-18. Camps run from 1 to 3 weeks long! We are SO not there yet. Someday!

Mad Science: For some reason, I had it in my head that Mad Science camp would be so fun for our biggest girl once she became of age. Now, I see that they've only got one location in the inner eastside, and it's isn't even a full-day (it's only 9-3pm). So, it won't work for us, but maybe the locations and times will work for you! It's about $129 per week for ages 4 and up.

And, actually, this listing of summer camps is pretty good.

Montessori of Alameda

Several parents have floated to our site looking for info on Montessori of Alameda.  Does anyone have thoughts about the school?  Please share!  Programs range from infant-age through 3rd grade.  I understand there is even a bus pick-up/drop-off program, as well as summer camps.

Here's perspective from Shannon, whose son was enrolled in the infant program for three months before she decided to stay home:

It's a wonderful school and I really, really, really like the teachers.  The biggest thing that I noticed that was different about the infant/toddler community (vs. other 'daycares') - is that they have real grass to play in; and everything was so much cleaner than others that I had visited.  If you're thinking of going the private school route (instead of the public school system), it's really nice that the Montessori goes through the third grade.  I also noticed that the older toddlers had some really fun & varied learning activities.  They also learn manners - yah!  If you want to 'tour' - I think all you have to do is call & make an appointment.  (Call Maya, the infant / toddler director -- 503-335-3321 )

They're located on NE 42nd & Going - where the old Wells Fargo bank used to be.  When my son is pre-school aged - we'll be going back to the Montessori!