Get added to the PTSA Email list: admin@winterhavenschool.org

PTSA SUPPORTED EVENTS & DATES

• Mon Nov 28 last day for Chinook Book purchases (details below)

• Tues Nov 29 Coffee Chat 8:45-9:30 Neighbors for Clean Air Update

• Wed Nov 30 Last day to donate to Willamette Center (details below)

• Mon-Tues Dec 5-6 Dine out for Winterhaven at Pastini (details below)

• Fri Jan 13 Next Interest class term begins (thru 2/17)

• Mon Jan 23 PTSA Community Meeting, topic TBD, 6:30-8:30

• Sun March 19 Shamrock Run (details below)

FROM THE PTSA PRESIDENT

Dear Winterhaven Community,

I was pleased yesterday to share the following statement from your PTSA board, and touched by the positive feedback we received. Thank you all for sharing our collective commitment to an inclusive, welcoming and safe school community. I also want to thank Kristin Teigen for initiating this action and the entire board for putting your passionate support behind it

It is evident that this election has brought out strong feelings across the nation. Immediately following the election, we started to become aware of a disturbing rise in hate speech and acts all across the country, including most shockingly, within schools. Both teachers and students have been harassed and bullied on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation and religion.

The Winterhaven PTSA is deeply alarmed by these acts, and we denounce them. We will always strive to support our community, honor difference and celebrate diversity. We know that our children will grow and learn better in a community that always celebrates exactly who they are, without fear, and that our teachers will continue to thrive in their work when they know they are supported. We know that we’re part of a larger community, and will work to stand for respect and justice in all we do.

We will continue to pursue, and expand these values. The PTSA wants to reiterate that Winterhaven strives to be safe, welcoming, and inclusive place for all students. Please know, students, parents, teachers and staff, that we will always have your back.

Sincerely,

Your Winterhaven PTSA Board

With Thanksgiving this week and the season of giving ahead, I am grateful for the generous spirit of the Winterhaven Community. The initial response to the artist in residence funding for the the 8th Grade Rock Opera has been fantastic, as has support building for the Pledge Drive. Thank you to all those who have already, or will respond to the call in the coming weeks.

I also offer a final thank you to James Avison and Ian Levear, for joining us at the community meeting last week with a great overview of the approach to math at Winterhaven from kindergarten through 8th grade.

I wish you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving.

Alan Scott

INITIATIVES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Staff Holiday Gift Fund – At this time of year, please take a moment to contribute to our Holiday gift fund to thank the hardworking staff and non-homeroom faculty whose dedication touches our children's lives in such a big way, but who typically don't receive the same holiday gifts, cards, and other appreciation throughout the year as our homeroom teachers – key difference makers like Ms. Dixon, Sharon Hatrak, Eugene our singing custodian, Lori Williams, or our wonderful Librarian GeorgeAnne. When every family puts a few dollars into the fund, we typically are able to get every member of the extended staff and non-homeroom faculty a small token of appreciation from the families at the school. Please leave cash or a check made out to Rebekah Folsom / Winterhaven PTSA in an envelope kept with Nancy in the office or send money by PayPal (https://www.paypal.me/rsatz).

Dine out for Winterhaven - Mark your calendar! This next month – December 5^th and 6^th – we have a Dine Out for Winterhaven at Pastini’s on Division (2027 SE Division Street, Portland Oregon). Bring the family, have a lovely meal, drink a nice bottle of wine, and let Pastini’s give Winterhaven 50% of proceeds that come in that WHOLE DAY. You NEED to mention WINTERHAVEN when you’re there, but come on, that’s Fantastini!!! Portland is filled with wonderful family oriented restaurants that are willing to contribute to our school. We try to partner with one restaurant each month to help raise money for our children. Save the dinner dates of 1/11, 3/14 and find our entire schedule here on the site. 

Community Service, Shelter Donations – We'll are having a short-term drive for the Willamette Center, a newly opened shelter for women and their partners. This shelter is located very close to Winterhaven, and is the only shelter in this area. They are in urgent need of the following items: towels, clean socks and underwear, seasonal adult-sized clothing, non-perishable snacks like granola bars, hygiene items, kitchenware, books, board games, puzzles, DVD’s. We will be receiving items from this Friday until Wednesday November 30th in a collection bin in the school's front hall. Please let me know If you have any questions! Thanks! amyleelacks@gmail.com

Amazon Smile – Are you doing any holiday shopping online? Did you know that every time you buy on Amazon, you can prompt Amazon to donate to our school?! It is super easy.All you need to do is to remember to go to AmazonSmile.com instead of Amazon. When first visiting AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization. Chose Winterhaven PTSA. Here’s a link to get you there fast - https://smile.amazon.com/ch/93-6039299. For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the customer’s selected charitable organization. That can REALLY add up fast

Support for the Rock Opera A super HUGE thank you to all of you who jumped in to give to ensure that we are able to have the 8^th Grade Rock Opera! WOW you all are super generous. We are already 66% of the way to our goal. Let’s make one final push to make sure our 8^th graders get this amazing opportunity! Here's where you can get the full details, including how to donate.

Chinook books – Do you have one yet? We are almost 95% of our way toward our budgeted goal!! FANTASTIC! If just 10 families bought an app or a book, we’d make our goal. That’s just too close to fail. Our cutoff date is MONDAY, November 28^th so you have until then to let me know (rcordan@pewtrusts.org). Let’s do this!

Shamrock Run! Join the Winterhaven Team for the annual Shamrock run. If we get enough participants we can raise PTSA funds while keeping our bodies moving! The event is on Sunday March 19, 2017 and register for team 8705. Contact marisha.childs@gmail.com

Variety Show: The annual Winterhaven Variety Show is happening this January. It can be a busy time of year, so we wanted to encourage students to start preparing their act now so that they can be ready for auditions the week after winter break. The Variety Show gives us a way to showcase creative and interesting things that the students enjoy doing. As always, we are looking for a VARIETY of acts to be in the show. Music, dance, comedy, skits, athletics, speech, novelty, magic...just to name a few.

OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED – We need you! 

Find our volunteer sign up page at http://www.winterhavenschool.org/volunteer, or email volunteer@winterhavenschool.org for more info:

• Interest classes We are looking ahead to the New Year to arrange some wonderful classes for our students for the next session that begins in January (1/13, 1/20, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17). If you have never had a chance to teach an interest class before, now is the time! It is a really fun way to interact with the students and to bring some of your own interests/talents to the school. Here's some ideas of classes that our students would really dig;... knot tying, map reading, compass reading and maybe bit of Geo-Caching?? Maybe you love a particular game- Forbidden Island, Ticket to Ride, Settlers Of Catan… students would love time to learn and play a game. Art, music, dance, might be other areas that you have experience. Possible topics are endless! Sometimes it’s fun to team up with a friend to teach a class together, or tag-team a class if you can’t make a commitment to all 5 classes. I would love to talk with you. Please contact us erinlynett.taylor@gmail.com, barb@fisherbusiness.net, rsatz@yahoo.com

• Lost and Found needs YOU: Five minutes, one day a week!! If each parent spent just a few minutes, one day a week at the school hanging up 3 jackets, rinsing out one lunchpail, or throwing out one bag of leftover food, we would never have a stinky lost and found again! This is the shortest volunteer job you could ask for - and SO NEEDED!! contact rsatz@yahoo.com

• Calling all Web Designers: Wouldn't you love to see our PTSA website go from OK to Amazing? Web designers, you know who you are. Please email admin@winterhavenschool.org if you'd like to be the person to take us to the next level!

• Cultural enrichment: Do you have knowledge of cultural experiences/ceremonies that you'd be willing to share/teach kiddos at our school? Dia de los muertos? Dusshera? Ashura? Mashujja? United Nations Day? You name it, I'm interested in speaking with you to expand the minds of our kiddos. Be it a virtual world trip with a tasting table potluck, our community deserves to see the world beyond Portland. Also, we could use a few fab parents to help us bring these super fun and educational experiences to life.Please contact marisha.childs@gmail.com

• Community Events: Are you a party planner extraordinaire? Do you like to plan events? Community Events Coordinator needed: Partner with the PTSA Volunteer Chair to support several key events throughout the year like the Spring Carnival. If you are interested, please contact Kari Key at volunteer@winterhavenschool.org for more info.

• Variety Show Helpers: The annual Winterhaven Variety Show is coming up this January. We will be sending out some more information in a few weeks, but if you are interested in helping with auditions, stage crew, lights & sound, etc. we would love to hear from you. Most of the events happen after school and in the evening hours, so it's a great opportunity to help outside of school hours. Please email Kari at karijkey@gmail.com if you would like to be involved.

This awesome community raised almost $600 at our Dine Out for Winterhaven at Pizzicato last month. Hurray for pizza! Hurray for all of you who dined out! We've also passed our halfway point on the Pledge Drive – Yippie! (So happy to do this instead of selling wrapping paper and cookie dough!) Our eternal gratitude goes to Nicole Cordan for tirelessly leading our fundraising efforts.