
Principal's Newsletter
Sam Barlow High School ~ October 2022
Sam Barlow High School
Website: https://www.gresham.k12.or.us/sbhs
Location: 5105 SE 302nd Ave, Gresham, OR, United States
Phone: (503) 258-4850
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sam-Barlow-High-School/106146596083423
Twitter: @BarlowPride
FROM PRINCIPAL BRUCE C. SCHMIDT, JR.
A Bit of Gratitude
It has been a great fall at Sam Barlow High School. We have many things to be proud of that range from outstanding academic performance, to the performance of our activity and athletic teams, to the phenomenal job our staff has done starting off our year with great success. While our staff, coaches, and advisors play a major role in the success of these students, I wanted to take a quick minute to thank our parents and community supporters. We would all like to think that ongoing success can be linked to the individual, however that is most often not the case. We all play a major part in the success of a school. Whether that is through helping at home with homework, transporting to a practice or game, or just being there as a support when things are not going well, it truly takes a village. We all do our part to enhance opportunities for success and growth with our kids. For that, I thank you all and am grateful for your ongoing support.
Special Commendations
We have seen many students experience success to this point, however, one student in particular deserves some “press” for her accomplishments. Anna Tercek is in the running as a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist for her performance on the PSAT during her junior year. She performed in the top 16,000 students nationally and is competing for a $2,500.00 scholarship. Additionally, if she earns semifinalist status, many colleges and universities offer a full merit based scholarship. This is a really big deal!
Creating the Connections
The primary focus of our work this year is to Create Connections with our staff, students, and community. It is important that we build quality partnerships with all those invested in Barlow to provide the most robust experience for our students. Please feel free to contact your student’s teachers, counselor, our office staff, or anyone on the administrative team to let us know how we are doing. We want to involve as many people in our school community as possible and get to know those we serve.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Wednesday, October 12th is the PSAT Test. THIS IS NOT A LATE START. SCHOOL STARTS AT 7:35.
- Thursday, October 13th is NO SCHOOL for students due to a Grading Day
- Friday, October 14th is NO SCHOOL for students due to a Statewide In-Service
ATTENDANCE
In order for students to reach their full potential in the classroom, they must attend school. We want all students to attend at least 90% of all school days. Students should only miss school if they have a fever, have been vomiting, have a medical appointment, or a family emergency. We fully understand that students will sometimes miss school, but limiting the number of missed days is important. Students can’t learn unless they are in class. If we have more students attending at a higher rate, we can also increase the success of our students and our graduation rate.
SIX-WEEK PROGRESS REPORTS
Our school year is broken up into two semesters that are eighteen weeks long. During the course of the semester there will be two progress reports that will be recorded, with one at six weeks and a second at twelve weeks. Progress reports are designed to share how your student is currently performing in class and is not a permanent grade. Wednesday, October 12th marks the end of our first six week grading period. Grades for this progress report will be posted in ParentVue and StudentVue by Wednesday, October 19th.
On Wednesday, October 19th you should have received your student's progress report through ParentVUE. Please be sure to review your student's progress to either congratulate them on their performance, or strategize about ways to improve.
If your student did not perform to expectation, or is currently failing a class, please consider the following strategies to help them:
- Monitor grades at the end of each week and go over those with your student. Pay close attention to missing assignments. It is always better for students to turn in work that is partially done versus taking a zero on the assignment.
- Work with your student to set goals around performance. Try to make these goals a week at a time so you can "check things off the list" regularly showing progress towards a bigger success. Setting goals is a great life skill that will help everyone.
- Work with your student to set expectations that help them become a bit better each day. Using those daily successes builds into weekly goals, which then builds into long term success. This process is a great path to long term achievement.
- You can always reach out to your student's teachers to get additional help or ask questions about what your student can do to improve their grade.
Keep in mind that this is a progress report and there is time to both celebrate successes and recover if there is room to grow. The most important thing to do at this time is to check in with your student and have conversation about school, learning about what it is they are doing in class, and searching out support if needed.
PARENTVUE: Checking Student Progress
You can download the ParentVue App directly to your phone for free. It’s very simple to do and we have included the step-by-step instructions for you below.
Go to your App store or Android Market and search for ParentVue.
Click ‘install’ and then ‘open’ when installation is complete.
You will have a screen prompting you to swipe left to find your district. If location is activated on your phone, our district should pop to the top. If not, type in Gresham-Barlow School District in the search bar.
Once you choose Gresham-Barlow School District, you will be asked to log in.
Once you have logged in, you will have access to your student's information, such as;
Class schedule
Current grades in all classes
Progress reports
Attendance
Teacher communications
Access to update your contact information
Many more…
You can also select which language you prefer to use by clicking on ‘change’ at the bottom of the screen.
This is a great resource to have at the tip of your fingers. If you need assistance logging in or resetting your password, please contact Brandie Seibel at seibel6@gresham.k12.or.us.
PARENT ACCESS TO CANVAS
Parent/Guardian Observer in Canvas
One of the greatest features available to you is accessing your student's classrooms via Canvas. Canvas is the learning management system we use to post all classroom expectations, assignments, and contact information for your student's teachers. This is a fantastic system that not only serves to provide work for students, but also enables parents to see what is being assigned in classes. To make life easy, all teachers have the same "landing page" that will provide easy access to information. See below for some details:
- Modules: This is where you will find all of your student's assignments and daily work that has been shared with them along with additional resources teachers provide to students.
- Class Information: This contains the syllabus for the class as well as other key information describing the course and expectations for students.
- Contact Me: If you access Canvas, you can select this button to send an email directly to your student's teacher.
It is the expectation that all teachers post their assignments to Canvas for student access. If your student is absent, they can always go to their Canvas page to find out what they have missed and even complete assignments when gone. Realize that some of our project based elective classes may not have many traditional assignments posted. For example, it is quite difficult to post a welding project on a digital platform. However, in this case, if there were plans that needed to be drawn, safety information about equipment, or a project description then you should find that information.
Gaining Access to Parent/Guardian Observer in Canvas
- Download the ParentVue app (see above) and establish a ParentVue Account.
- Follow the directions for creating a Parent/Guardian Observer Password
COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER
Sam Barlow High School is home to an amazing College and Career Center. Patty Neuenschwander, our College Coordinator, is consistently finding ways to connect students with scholarship opportunities, hosting presentations from colleges and universities, and helping students with the college application process. LindaLee Frazier, our Career Coordinator, works to provide students with exposure to career opportunities by linking local businesses to classrooms, hosting presentations from business leaders, and connecting students to apprenticeship programs, the military, and local job options. These two work tirelessly to provide opportunities for your student.
Please see their newsletter for incredible details and current opportunities:
VOLUNTEERS FOR MOCK INTERVIEWS AND CAREER DAY
This fall Sam Barlow is offering two great opportunities to support students' career pathways. Our Sophomore students will be practicing the application process for a job and participating in Mock Interviews on October 27th and 28th. We will also be hosting a Career Exploration Day on November 8th to share career options with our students.
Mock Interviews
Each year our Sophomore Class prepares a resume, cover letter, and prepares for an interview. This "real world experience" helps our students to experience what it takes to land a job. We are in need of volunteers to serve as interviewers on October 27th and 28th. You can sign up for blocks of time on one day, the other, or both based on your schedule. This is a great opportunity to teach those important skills we want students leaving high school with in order to be successful in life.
Career Exploration Day
We are hosting a Career Day on November 8th for all students. We have planned to utilize over 50 guest speakers who will be sharing information about their careers. Students will rotate to four sessions in order to learn more about careers they may be interested in. We are in need of presenters and would welcome you to present. I know if may seem "scary", but the sessions are only 20 minutes long, you are sharing about your career, and our staff will be present in your classroom to help support you while presenting all the great things about what it is you do.
To volunteer some of your time, for either of the Career Experiences above, please contact LindaLee Frazier at 503.258.4885 or email her at frazier2@gresham.k12.or.us
CLASS OF 2023
Seniors, the time has arrived to turn in your Senior Class Portrait. The deadline to turn in your portrait is December 14th. Please see Senior Portrait Info/Submission for more information.
To access key dates and information regarding the Class of 2023, please visit the Senior Page on our website. You can also get more information about what Jostens offers on their website jostens.com.
MARY POPPINS November 11th - 19th
Everyone's favorite practically perfect nanny takes the stage in this Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious musical adventure. The jack-of-all-trades, Bert, introduces us to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family members how to value each other again. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren't the only ones upon whom she has a profound effect. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that "Anything can happen if you let it."
Tickets at sambarlowtheatre.com
KNOW YOUR SCHOOL
In order to connect with our school community, Principal Bruce Schmidt will be hosting a monthly parent meeting on the fourth Monday of each month. During this meeting, Mr. Schmidt will present on a variety of topics to inform participants of what is taking place at Barlow. These meetings are never "one way" as Mr. Schmidt will gather input from parents and guardians to help make the Barlow experience quality for all.
The meetings begin at 7:00pm and end at 8:30pm and this year we are running a hybrid model with some meetings being conducted virtually through the use of Google Meets and some in-person in the Media Center. The meeting dates for the 2022-23 school year are: 10/24 (in-person), 11/28, 1/23, 2/27 (in-person), 3/20, 4/24, and 5/22 (in-person).
Each month an invitation will be sent to you with an agenda via email outlining the topics for discussion along with the link to the Google Meet for virtual meetings. We look forward to seeing you at the end of each month.
MAIN OFFICE FAQ's
What are the office hours?
7:00am - 3:30pm daily
Closed on holidays and some inservice days
What is the main office number?
503-258-4850
Can I leave a message for my student?
Yes. If necessary, we can take messages from a parent or guardian only. Messages will not be delivered to class except in an emergency, but will be held in the office. Students are paged during designated paging times, and it is the student’s responsibility to pick up the note.
Can I bring a present or send flowers/balloons to a student?
We are unable to accept gifts, flowers/balloons for students. We will refuse all attempted deliveries.
Can I deliver coffee/specialty drinks to my student?
No. We will not accept any Dutch, Black Rock, Country Coffee, etc.
Additional questions?
Please call us! 503-258-4850
Who Can Help?
If you have concerns about your child’s schedule or other issues, the following are the staff to contact. Email is a quick way to get answers to the questions you might have.
COUNSELORS (Caseload by Last Name)
A-C Shae Morris morris62@gresham.k12.or.us
D-H Erin Boelow boelow@gresham.k12.or.us
I-M Paul Quirke quirke@gresham.k12.or.us
N-Sa Oscar Rethwill rethwill@gresham.k12.or.us
Sc-Z Molly Ninneman ninneman@gresham.k12.or.us
SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER
Kimberly Louvin louvin@gresham.k12.or.us
HS SUCCESS COACH
Amanda McLeod mcleod2@gresham.k12.or.us
ELL LIAISON
Brinidey Gil-Salado gil9@gresham.k12.or.us
NURSE
Miriam Ward ward31@gresham.k12.or.us
ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
Ryan Alexander alexander9@gresham.k12.or.us
ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
A-G Heidi Husbands husbands@gresham.k12.or.us
H-O Jason Bhear bhear@gresham.k12.or.us
P-Z Doyle Huelsman huelsman2@gresham.k12.or.us
SBHS Calendars
If you would like to subscribe to Sam Barlow calendars on your phone or other devices, use the links below:
Activities - SBHS Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/gresham.k12.or.us_73jhabthgqh7h2910qn0c6baq8%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
Athletics -SBHS calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/gresham.k12.or.us_kv7l5hldmkp5s4cgp4dmg8fnls%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
Sam Barlow Main Public Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/gresham.k12.or.us_4jj9ve163iticdogb11b6ggp1s%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics