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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

What Did They Learn on the Scavenger Hunt?

Today I asked students what they learned on the scavenger hunt. Here are just a few of their answers.

• People are nicer than I thought. 
• How to navigate downtown. 
• The MAX has different lines that go different places. 
• Preplanning where to go will keep people from getting frustrated. 
• Voter registration cards are available at DMV and libraries. 
• People are helpful and kind. 
• 4 eighth graders can do much more than commonly thought. 
• How hard it is if you miss the bus. 
• Be aware of your surroundings, but don't live in fear. 
• Don't expect every bus that passes you to be your bus. 
• Don't pass by Hot Lips pizza while you're hungry. 
• It is very easy and important to ask for help. 
• Carry an umbrella
• In order to lead a group, you have to conquer your own fear first. 
• A 3 minute lag in your schedule can throw off the whole day.
• How to navigate the MAX system.
• How to make decisions as a team. 
• Travelling by bus/MAX is really easy. 
• Pay attention to time, buses wait for no one. 
• If you put a ton of noodles on them, you can eat tomatoes without it being gross. 
•  There are maps on the MAX. 
• It's easier to have fun when you all cooperate and keep an open mind. 
• How to use public transportation. 
• People are awesome. 
• Using active listening when with a group reduces arguments. 
• If you don't know where you're going, you'll most likely get lost. 
• How to manage time and important it is to get on the right bus. 
• Don't get ahead of yourself. 
• Being in a group is easier because everyone knows different things. 
• It's hard for parents to let us manage ourselves. 
• I am more capable than I thought. 
• How you dress and act affect how others react to you. 
• 
  

Portland Scavenger Hunt Photos

What a day! I am so impressed with everyone's poise, problem solving, and perseverance. I will update this post with pictures as they come in! Keep checking back to get a glimpse into their day.

What Are We Doing in History?

Two weeks ago we looked at the underlying causes of the Vietnam War and how the US got involved. Last week and this week, we looked at the Vietnam War through the lens of art. Last week we critiqued protest posters from the 60's and early 70's and then students created their own posters. Student posters reflected the civil rights issue they individually have chosen to work on. These ranged from disability rights to racial profiling to gender equity. This week we are looking at the music, specifically how music drove the anti war protests. Today, students wrote their own music and will be performing it tomorrow. Over the next few weeks we will be looking at the progression of the war and the experience of veterans returning home from the war. 

NON Souvenir Workshop

Believe it or not, we're almost done with Night of the Notables!

Tuesday is the souvenir workshop for Night of the Notables. This is a chance for students to work together in a relaxed atmosphere with snacks, music, and friends. Teachers will be on hand to provide technical assistance and oversight.

Students should bring all of the supplies they need to work and a great attitude. We will begin right after carline and end at 5:00. 

April Field Trip Details

We have 3, yes 3 field trips this month. Here is a run down of what everyone needs to wear and bring for each day.

April 22 - BPA Lab Tour
Dress Code: Regular uniforms but no skirts or sandals. Everyone must have closed toe shoes on.

Lunch: We can not guarantee that we will be back in time for hot lunch, so everyone needs a lunch from home.

Cell Phone/Cameras: No

Chaperones: Mrs. Rathmanner, Mrs. Masterson

Times: 8:30 - 12:30

April 24 - Life Skills Scavenger Hunt

Dress Code: Business Casual. This means slacks, knee length or longer skirts, polo shirt, blouse, or button up shirt. Walking shoes are encouraged. Jacket is a must. No sweats, jeans, sweatshirts, or t shirts.

Lunch: Everyone will need $5.00 for lunch.

Cell Phone/Camera: Yes

Chaperones: Mrs. Grainger, Mrs. Rovang, Mrs. Rathmanner, Mrs. Masterson, Mr. Arifdjanov, Mrs. Arifdjanova

Times: 8:30 - 3:30

April 29 - OCI and Portland Art Museum

Dress Code: Dressy. Slacks, button up shirts, ties, knee length skirts and blouse, nylons, dress shoes. 

Lunch: Provided

Cell Phone/ Cameras: No

Other: Students will be bringing writing and sketching tools. 

Chaperones: NONE so far, I need at least 2

Times: 8:30 - 1:30

Promotion Planning Meeting Minutes

Last Friday Mrs. Fajardo, Mrs. Schroedl, Mrs. Grainger, and Mrs. Bradburry joined me to get plans in place and the ball rolling. 

We discussed the many aspects of promotion.

 

STAGE:

1. Backdrop. We liked the backdrop that was done last year. This was a simple black backdrop with the student names cut out with a cricut in bright contrasting colors. We need someone(s) to volunteer to make these. 

2. Chairs - Mrs. Bradburry has white chair covers for the student chairs on stage. 

3. Bunting - I believe we have bunting and lights that can be used to decorate the front of the stage. 

4. Flowers - Mrs. Bradburry has flower arrangements in red, white, and blue for the stage. 

ROOM DECORATIONS:

1. Balloons - Shonna volunteered to look into getting a helium tank so we can put up balloons. 

2. Posters - Mrs. Adams will work on the posters about each student. These will go up behind the dessert table. 

3. Arch - We have an arch to put up by the door for the students to walk through. This can be decorated with streamers or balloons. 

4. Photo Booth - Mrs. Marlatt will be taking pictures of families and anyone else that would like to get their picture done. We need someone to volunteer to put it up and get props, etc. 

Food:

We decided on dessert and punch. 

1. Cake - Mrs. Grainger volunteered to handle the dessert portion of the evening. She will be getting one cake and asking parents to bring their favorite dessert. 

2. Punch - Mrs. Fajardo volunteered to get punch and cups and try to arrange a fountain for the punch. 

3. Table decorations - Mrs. Grainger volunteered to pick up table cloths, napkins, plates, and forks. 

Ceremony:

1. Program - We need a program. If someone is excited about making one, great! We'd love to have the help. If not, I've got one from last year that I can modify. 

2. Speakers - Students that wanted to speak were asked to have a paragraph in to me by today. From those, several will be chosen. Mrs. Denman and Mrs. Adams will also speak. 

3. Slideshow - At the beginning of the year Mrs. Goldstein volunteered to do the slideshow. I'll be checking with her to make sure she's still on board. If so, we'll need everyone to send pictures to her. We want to make sure we have a baby picture and an 8th grade picture of every student. We also want to make sure we have pictures from all the big events including field trips from all grades, Greek Festival, Viking Festival, Hancock Field Station, Outdoor School, field days, Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, etc. Mrs. Fajardo volunteered to help with this if Mrs. Goldstein needed it. 

4. Certificates - Mrs. Adams prints the certificates. 

Set Up and Clean Up:

There will be two phases of set up, the decorations and the food set up. 

1. Decorations set up can be done right after school. We get out at 11:30 that day so Mrs. Schroedl suggested and offered to coordinate an 8th grade BBQ that afternoon at school. We will have a potluck BBQ and then everyone can help set up the chairs, get the decorations up, etc before going home to get dressed and ready for promotion. Further details will be coming out. 

2. Phase 2 is the food table. Mrs. Grainger is in charge of the food table, so just before the ceremony that table will need to be set up. 

3. Clean Up - We have traditionally had the 7th graders come to do clean up so that 8th grade families can go home and enjoy each other. Mrs. Adams will reach out to 7th grade to do this for us this year. 

I believe that's it! 

If you can think of anything else you'd like to see, please let me know or if you'd like to volunteer for one of the needed jobs, please let me know that as well! 

Culinary Field Trip

Our Oregon Culinary Institute field trip has been confirmed. We will be visiting on April 29th, 2015. We are due to arrive at 11:00, but I have requested a tour and writing workshop at the Portland Art Museum before lunch. 

This will be the sixth year that Oregon Culinary Institute has hosted our eighth graders for lunch. It provides a chance for students to learn formal meal etiquette from professionals as well as tour yet another type of higher education. The opportunity to not only eat delicious food in a beautiful setting, but also learn how to handle yourself at a formal meal allows students to gain confidence. 

I will need 2 parent volunteers for this trip. If you are available, I would appreciate your help. 

Changes to Final Fundraiser

We've made some changes to our final fundraiser for Ashland. Instead of working with Applebees, which was proving difficult, we are going to host the pancake breakfast here at school. The Applebees program allowed us to sell tickets for $10 each and keep $4. If we host our own here at school, we can sell tickets for $5, which will likely be much easier to sell, and still have a $4 profit. 

The adults in the Gorsage / Lehman family all have food handlers licenses and are willing to do the cooking, so we just need students to serve and parents willing to help manage and direct. 

I know you're dying to ask how you can help so here's what we need: 

1. Sell tickets. Tickets are $5.00 per person for a short stack of pancakes and juice or coffee. Ticket order forms will go home this afternoon with your student. In order to make our fundraising goal, we need to sell about 200 tickets. 

2. Donate items to be used. We need paper cups, orange juice, coffee, cream, sugar, butter, and syrup. 

3. Sign up to help wrangle servers. We will be serving from 8:00 until 11:00. I would like each student to serve for one hour. This will take some direction from adults. 

4. Sign up for clean up. We will need someone to supervise the dishwashers and several hands to help supervise the clean up at the end. 

Students are expected to be on site from 7:30 until 11:30. They may wear clean jeans and their 8th grade t shirt. Everyone will serve in a variety of roles including server, bus person, cashier, garbage, dishwasher, etc. 

We appreciate your support and if you have any questions or to donate items, you may contact myself or Erin Gorsage Lehman. 

Spring Cleaning

Second Annual Spring Cleaning!

Love Cascade but don't have time to show it during the school week?  Come help us spruce up our space!  Drop in Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

Choose a job off the board you'd like to do, and get to work!  Inside jobs, outside jobs, big jobs, little jobs, there is a job for everyone.  Bring the whole family and a picnic lunch (no childcare provided).  Bring your mower, weed-eater, edger, gardening gloves, litter grabber, carpet steamer, wipes, rags, spray bottles, dusters, anything else you can think of. 

Students will get a homework pass and service hours will be signed off.  

Contact Mr. C with questions h.currey@chpcs.org

Ashland Contract

Ashland Contract

April 1, 2015

Dear Students and Guardians,

I am writing you this Letter of Understanding in anticipation of one of middle school’s great experiences: Ashland. Field trips are an extension of our academic program. When our students leave campus to go on a field trip they are ambassadors from our school, so we wish to send them as the very best they can be. Eighth grade students attend a two - three day field trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon. This trip is a privilege and not mandatory, though school attendance still is.

If, for any reason, your student has shown poor attendance, unacceptable behavior or inadequate academic habits, they may very likely be asked to stay at school during this trip.

Specific Criteria for attending Ashland includes but is not limited to:

·       Meeting ALL Night of the Notables deadlines

·       Having ZERO missing assignments the day we depart (May 25th)

·       Having had NO MORE THAN 5 late assignments starting April 1st

·       No significant behavioral incidents between April 1st and May 25^th. A significant behavioral incident is one resulting in a suspension.

·       Submitting this form, signed and dated by April 6^th

Unacceptable behavior includes but is not limited to:

Plagiarism, Cheating, Lying, Defiance, Teasing, Physical aggression, Intimidation, Threats or Exclusion

Learning the importance of deadlines is an integral part of growing up. It is our belief that holding students accountable to the work they are assigned is an essential part of what makes Cascade Heights an excellent learning community.

Ashland is an academic experience, but students who are not demonstrating acceptable academic readiness will remain at school during the rest of the class’ absence. They will work to get caught up on missing assignments.

Please sign today's Letter of Understanding to confirm that you have read and understand the information above.

__________________________________________________                                   ___________

Student                                                                                                                                                                                                               Date

__________________________________________________                                   ___________

Guardian                                                                                                                                                                                                            Date

Tentative Ashland Schedule

Monday

            12:00 – Meet at school and load cars

            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

Last Fundraiser of the Year

This is our last fundraiser of the year and our goal is to raise $2000. That means we need to sell a lot of tickets. 

Please help spread the word. All students will need to be on hand to help serve and clean up. 

A ticket request form will go home tomorrow. Please fill it out to let me know how many tickets you'd like on hand to sell.