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If you are looking for the 2015 - 2016 8th grade blog, you have reached this blog in error. 

The new blog is located at www.8thgradeatcascade.blogspot.com

Uniforms

Uniforms at Cascade

A quick summary for families new to Cascade Heights, and a quick reminder for returning families.  There is quite the comprehensive uniform code in the Handbook found in each student's planner, so we will not go over everything with a fine-toothed comb here, just the big ideas that may affect your back-to-school shopping over the next few weeks.

Basic Uniform:
White collared shirt:
White collared shirts may be long- or short-sleeved, with a turtle, mock-turtle, Mandarin, Peter Pan, or regular wing collar.

All of these are fine and quite stylish.

Uniform shirts MUST be long enough to tuck in all the way around.  They may NOT have large logos.  Undershirts may NOT have print that shows through the top collared shirt.

Navy bottoms:
Navy is a dark blue material that is NOT jean or black.  Shorts, skirts, pants, kulots, skorts, jumpers, and kilts ARE acceptable.  Cargo, stretch, leggings, jeggings, short-shorts (must come to 1" above knee or farther down) are NOT acceptable. Please check the length of shorts and skirts. Many students will grow over the summer and what fit perfectly in June is no longer appropriate.
This works:

Mock layer pleated jumper by French Toast, $19.99

Because, although it is "mock layer," it has the requisite white collared shirt look to it.

This doesn't work:

Old Navy polo dress for such a great deal!

Because it does not have the "white shirt with collar" part of the uniform.


Leggings and tights:
Please regard leggings (white, navy blue, or black) as more like tights than pants.  They may be worn as a layer under jumpers, but are NOT a substitute for pants.  Stretch pants (leggings included) are not part of the uniform.

Shoes:
Thankfully by middle school, it is easier to find shoes that fit the dress code. Please do your best to find a pair of shoes that are MOSTLY black, navy, gray, brown, or white.

Sorry, red shoes are not part of the uniform code.

Basically, shoes should be primarily black, gray, brown, navy blue, or white.  They should not be screaming for attention.

A word on shoes:
Cascade Falcons have P.E. and recess every day. Heels are not permitted on for daily wear. On special occasions, low heels will be allowed.

Other shoes that don't belong at school: shoes with heels (including combat-style boots, cowboy boots, etc.), slippers, UGGS, mud boots (as the only shoe--if students can change quickly, they may bring mud boots for outside wear), sandals, open-toed shoes, flip-flops.

Socks:
Socks and tights should be black, navy blue, gray, or white. They must show up over the edge of shoes (no no-shows). Nylons are allowed with skirts or shorts.


Red sweaters:
Please look for fire-engine red as much as possible.  Maroon is not a school color.  Sweaters may be sweatshirts, cardigans, pullovers, v-necks, etc., but may NOT have a hood if a child wishes to wear it indoors.

These are NOT allowed to be worn in the classroom (in fire-engine red, or any other color):

Super sporty, but not inside.

Sweaters are also not a substitute for tucking in a white collared shirt that must be worn under the sweater!

The purpose of uniforms is multi-fold:

• It removes a level of class-based judgement and bullying.  Children who all dress the same find it more difficult to single out others who may have less.
• It makes the identification of those who belong on campus and in field trip groups easier and quicker; it's a safety thing.
• It is visually calming and far less stimulating than a sea of a billion colors.  Please remember the distraction of fancy hair-baubles, earrings, bracelets, etc.
• It simplifies getting dressed in the morning.
• It creates pride in identity and place: we know we look smart as a group and we are proud of it!
• It encourages students to express their personality with their...personality.  They are driven to express themselves through assignments, thought, speech, and actions.  
• It is one of the many reasons families choose and stay at Cascade Heights!

Spirit Week is This Week

It's Spirit Week! 

Monday - Hobby Day 
Come dressed for your favorite hobby. Be prepared to tell us all about it!

 


Tuesday - Buddy Day
Spend time with your buddy class doing something exciting. 

Wednesday - Read on the Green Day
Bring a good book and blanket and spend the day our on the lawn reading. What better way to enjoy the fabulous spring weather?


Thursday - Superhero Day
Create your own superhero persona and dress up as them. What superpowers do you wish you had, or do you have? 

May Field Trips Update

This month we have 3 field trips scheduled. Please read this email fully for information about each of them. 

1. May 14th - Oregon Tradeswomen Conference - Due to lack of chaperones, we are unable to attend this conference. It is a regular school day, so we will be on campus. 

2. May 25th - 27th - Ashland! The blog has the detailed schedule and a packing list for Ashland. Please let me know if you need any further details. 

3. May 29th - Our middle school hike has been cancelled due to lack of buses. Instead, we will be on campus with Mr. Weaver. The middle school team met with Mr. Weaver on Friday to plan a fun filled field day specifically designed for middle school.  In order to make our day as much fun as possible, we need adults! Were you already planning to join us for the hike? Please come join us for the day! We will be playing volleyball, capture the flag, biffer games, field hockey, and more. Come spend the day in the sun with us. I promise you'll have a great time and walk away with great memories. Please let me know if you can join us so we know how many to plan for. 

Ashland Packing List

brush or comb
gel/mousse/hairspray
shampoo/conditioner
hair ties/bobby pins/other hairstyling accessories
hair dryer/curling iron
*deodorant
toothbrush/toothpaste
retainer/ washing stuff
rubber bands/wax/ other braces required stuff
face wash stuff
make up/chap stick
glasses/contacts
*deodorant
2 casual shirts
2 medium dressy shirts
1 dressy shirt/dress/tie/suit jacket
bras
jewelry
*deodorant
2+ pairs of underwear
2 pairs of socks
2 pairs of casual pants
2 pairs semi dressy pants
1 pair of dressy pants
dress socks/tights/nylons
shoes/dress shoes
*deodorant
pajamas
pillow
sleeping bag
*deodorant
swim suit
towel x2
book
money - no more than $10 for spending and $10 for dinner
entertainment for the bus

Ashland Details

Ashland End of Year Trip

We have the pleasure of traveling to Ashland, Oregon for three days of theater and fun. On Monday, the 25th of June we will meet at school at 12:00 PM. We will load the bus and head out by 1. When we reach Eugene, which takes approximately two hours, we'll stop at the Dexter State Recreation Site for frisbee golf, a bbq dinner, and swimming. After a few hours of fun, we'll reload the bus and head for Ashland. We're staying the night in the dorms at Southern Oregon University. We'll get checked in and then play some group games in the commons. Bedtime will be fairly early because we have a big day on Tuesday. 

Tuesday morning we will be up and dressed early so we can eat breakfast in the cafeteria. At 10:30 we will load the bus to head to our first workshop, Exploring Design.
"What inspires the designs for this season's production? What factors influenced the designers' choices? These questions and more are answered in a one-hour exploration of the creative process. Students discover how the words of the script are turned into a production on stage by investigating visual research, drawings, photos from previous productions and fabric samples. "

After the workshop we'll go back for a quick lunch and change of clothes before heading back to our first play, Much Ado About Nothing. The attire will be slightly less formal, but still dressy. Polo shirts, button up shirt sans tie, skirts, or dresses would be fine. No jeans, shorts, sweats, t shirts, etc.

"

Love’s in the air when Don Pedro’s army, drunk with victory from the war, descends upon Leonato’s country estate in Messina. Traveling with him is Claudio, who wants to marry Leonato’s daughter Hero. Meanwhile, Claudio’s friend Benedick and Leonato’s lively niece Beatrice hide their mutual attraction behind a volley of witty insults. But their world is shattered when Claudio, influenced by a scheming malcontent, levels a shocking accusation at Hero. A linguistically challenged guard and his sidekicks uncover the plot, casting a beam of hopefulness in this tempestuous landscape of love."

The play is 2 hours and 45 minutes, so we'll get out just in time for a few minutes in the park before heading to dinner. After dinner we will get ready for the evening performance of Guys and Dolls. Expected attire is dressy. That means either skirts and blouses with nice shoes or slacks with a button up shirt and tie. No jeans, sweats, shorts, t shirts, bare legs, etc.

"Nathan Detroit runs the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York. There are well-heeled shooters everywhere, but it’s no dice unless they have a place to gamble—and that takes dough. Nathan’s got a bet that high roller Sky Masterson can't land a date with a straight-laced Salvation Army doll, but love is never a sure thing. And his fiancée Miss Adelaide will walk out if she doesn’t walk down the aisle soon. What’s a poor guy to do? Put your money on this hilarious musical classic directed by Mary Zimmerman, who created OSF's 2012 smash hit The White Snake."

The play will get out at 10:30, so we'll head right to bed. 

Wednesday morning we will get up early so we can eat before heading to our workshop at 9:30. "Two hours of on-your-feet exercises, led by one or two company members, designed to explore the themes, characters and language of the plays your students will see on their visit to OSF. " The workshop will be followed by a quick lunch and dressing for the afternoon play. The attire will be slightly less formal, but still dressy. Polo shirts, button up shirt sans tie, skirts, or dresses would be fine. No jeans, shorts, sweats, t shirts, etc. 

The matinee of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land runs 2.5 hours. 

"A contemporary delight of Chinese drama

Two plays—one a  retelling of a classic Chinese fable, the other a poignant story of a couple separated in the wake of China’s 1949 revolution—collide onstage when two acting troupes accidentally book the same theatre for rehearsals. Amid the chaos, squabbles and comical jabs at theatre life, the two plays begin to mysteriously intertwine, their epic themes calling to each other across the centuries in a blend of modern realism and Peking opera. Internationally acclaimed Taiwanese playwright Stan Lai directs his 1986 meditation on love, loss and memory, regarded as a masterwork of modern theatre in China."

Immediately following the play we will load the bus and head for home. We should arrive back at school by 9:00 PM. I will be sending out an email when we hit Salem, so parents know to head for school. Please be sure you on are checking your email that night. 

Monday

            12:00 – Meet at school and load BUS (note change of transportation type)

            12:30 – Drive to Ashland

            4:00 – Dinner and recreation at the lake in Eugene

            7:00 – Arrive in Ashland and check in to rooms

Tuesday

7:30 – Wake up and breakfast in the dining hall

10:30 – Exploring Design Workshop

12:00 – Lunch in the dining hall

1:30 – Much Ado About Nothing (Business Casual)

5:00 – Dinner in the dining hall

6:30 – Return to dorm to get ready for evening show

8:00 – Guys and Dolls (Formal)

Wednesday

            7:30 – Wake up and breakfast in the dining hall

9:30 – Workshop

11:30 – Lunch in the dining hall

12:30 – Prologue

1:30 – Secret Love in Peach Blossom (Business Casual)

3:30 – Load cars and head for home

9:00 – Arrive at Cascade

PAM and OCI Field Trip

Tomorrow is our field trip to the Portland Art Museum and Oregon Culinary Institute. We will be leaving school at 8:45 and returning by about 1:00.

Dress Code: 
Formal - slacks, button up shirt, tie, knee length or longer skirts, low heels, blouses. Shoulders must be covered.

Need to Bring: 
No lunch required, we will be eating at the Oregon Culinary Institute.
Change of clothes for PE

Technology Policy:
No cameras or phones allowed for this trip. I will take lots of pictures!

Chaperones:
Mrs. Masterson
Mrs. Rathmanner