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Titan Times Newsletter

Springwater Trail High School - October 2019

Titan TimesNewsletterSpringwater Trail High School - October 2019

Principal's Message


Hello Springwater Community,



As we welcome fall, we are also wrapping up our first grading period. The 6-week grading periods are the perfect time to check in with your student about their academic progress. For students who are failing courses, we will reach out to parents to problem-solve and create a plan to get them academically back on track.


We had a wonderful Community Care Day at Hogan Butte Nature Park last Thursday afternoon. Students made turtle islands, planted trees and shrubs, and pulled invasive species at Hogan Butte Nature Park. The weather came through for us and we remained dry. Thank you to the City of Gresham and all the students for their hard work!


We have PSAT testing for all sophomores next Wednesday, October 16th. Due to the testing, there is NO LATE start next Wednesday, October 16th for all high school students.


Progress Reports: Progress report grades will be available beginning Tuesday, October 15th. Progress reports are accessible online through StudentVue and ParentVue. If you’d like a paper copy, please contact the office and we will mail it to you (or you can swing by the office to pick it up). For more information, including a link to ParentVue, see “Report Cards Online” in this issue of Titan Times.


Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s teachers, the main office, or me by phone or email if you have questions or concerns. We are here to support you and your student.



Sincerely,


Ryan Blaszak

Springwater Main Office: 503.261.4600

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PSAT

PSAT Wednesday, Oct. 16th will NOT be a late start - all buses will run on the regular schedule. All sophomores will be taking the PSAT in the morning . This test is a 3 1/2 hour test on reading, writing and math. Your child was given a practice test booklet. Please take some time to look through the booklet and encourage them to look at the test questions .


Juniors are encouraged to take this test, especially if they are thinking about applying for university admission their senior year or have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or above.


Juniors need to sign up in the office. The cost is $16 to take the test. Students on free and reduced lunch will not be charged. They can register before school, after school and during lunch. They will not be allowed to do so during class.The deadline to register is Monday, Oct. 14th.


All Freshmen, Seniors and Juniors not taking the PSAT will have a regularly scheduled day.


Four reasons to take the PSAT

1. It sets students up to be better prepared to take either the SAT or ACT - which is required for university admissions

2. Students get feedback from College board regarding their scores, how they compare to others and where they can improve

3. Most students find they score better than they thought they would, which is a great motivator for college and career planning.

4. It is the only opportunity to determine if a student is a National Merit Scholar and Hispanic National Merit.

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Fall Fest - October 25th

On Friday October 25th from 5:30-8:30pm we will be having our Fall Festival. This is a fun event that includes pumpkin carving, music, and yummy food! Tickets can be purchased for $5 in the main office beginning on Monday October 14th.
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Senior Pictures

Senior yearbook photos are due to Mrs Weber by Wednesday December 18th. Please see the document below that outlines requirements of the photo.

Contact Mrs Weber at Weber18@gresham.k12.or.us or 503-261-4600

Parent Conference Week Schedule

Testing Notification

Springwater Trail High School will give Smarter Balanced tests in English Language Arts and Math on February 18-21, 2020 and April 28-29, 2020. These tests measure more complex, real-world skills such as critical-thinking, writing, and problem solving so that your child can successfully transition from grade to grade and be prepared for his or her next steps after high school. We know that an end-of-the-year test cannot possibly tell us everything about your child’s academic progress. However, the results do act as a snapshot of your child’s strengths and areas for improvement and can be used as a way to ensure they are getting the support they need. Additionally, the tests help Gresham Barlow School District’s efforts to equitably distribute resources and support student learning. When fewer students take the test, we are left with an incomplete and inaccurate picture of how our students are performing, and this limits our ability to address issues, better serve students, and continue to improve our educational system.

ORS 329.479 establishes a Student Assessment Bill of Rights permitting parents or adult students to annually opt-out of statewide summative assessments in English language arts and Mathematics. The opt-out forms will not be available on the Oregon Department of Education website until later this school year. We will let you know when the opt-out forms become available. This notification will be sent to you at least 30 days prior to when your student would begin testing. More information about the annual opt-out / testing notification process can be found here:

Oregon Annual Testing Notification - English

Oregon Annual Testing Notification - Spanish


In the Gresham Barlow School District, we are deeply committed to inspiring and empowering each student and ensuring that every student in our schools has the support they need to achieve at high levels and graduate prepared for their next steps. If you have general questions or want more information about the end-of-year tests, please see http://www.smarterbalanced.org/parents/.


We encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher(s) with any questions you may have about your student’s progress.
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Vaping Warning

Please review the attached vaping flyer from the Multnomah County's Health department.
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Academic Support Monday - Thursday

Additional academic support is available at Springwater Trail High School, on Monday - Thursday from 2:30pm-3:30pm. This additional time will allow students to utilize school resources such as the library and student computers for homework, studying, reading, etc.

Transportation route home at 3:30 is available but students MUST sign up in the office to ride the bus. Below is the route of the 3:30 activity bus. If you have questions regarding after school support, please call the office at 503.261.4600.


3:37pm Hollydale ES

3:41pm Gresham HS - 1200 N Main Ave

3:43pm North Gresham ES

3:46pm Highland ES

3:50pm Hall ES

3:57pm Powell Valley ES

4:01pm Kelly Creek ES

4:09pm Thompson Fruit Stand - Corner 242 & Bohna Park

4:10pm Lewis & Clark Montesorri

4:14pm Safeway Parking Lot

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Report Cards Online

Parents, did you know you can access your student's progress reports and report cards online through ParentVue? To access the report card from your ParentVue account, just click on the 'report card' button on the left side. Paper report cards will be available by request only. If you have trouble logging into your ParentVue account or need to get it set up, please contact Koryna Herreid at 503-261-4600 or Herreid@gresham.k12.or.us.

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Volunteering

Interested in Volunteering at our School?


1) Go to the district website at www.gresham.k12.or.us

2) Hover over “About Us” and click on “Volunteer Information”

3) In the left-hand menu, click on “Volunteer Application Form”

4) Fill out the online application

5) Record your volunteer badge number


Once completed, the approval process can take up to two weeks.

Happy volunteering!

NOTE: The application is not mobile compatible. This must be done on a laptop or desktop computer.

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Springwater Attendance

If your son/daughter is going to be out for the day please call the office (503-261-4600) and let us know the reason why. Whenever the office is not notified of an absence, a call is made home via the automated calling system. If the student is going to be out more than three days, you can call the office or email your student's teachers with a request for homework. If your student is going to be out of school for extended period of time due to a vacation or some other event, please have him/her complete a Pre-arranged Absence Form. If your student needs to leave school early or arrive late due to appointments, please call the office or send a note to excuse their absence.

October Student Spotlight

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Jesse Goodrick

Future Plans After High School: I have no idea

Grade: 9

Interests: Drawing

Favorite subject in school: Science

Favorite thing about STHS: Small class sizes

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Yuridia Dolores

Future Plans After High School: Planning to go to a community college for 2 years

Grade: 11

Interests: Drawing and music

Favorite subject in school: Global Perspectives

Favorite thing about STHS: Being able to communicate with teachers and getting the help that I need.

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Cole Burton

Future Plans After High School: Working in a Union

Grade: 12

Interests: Volleyball, running, and video games

Favorite subject in school: Health

Favorite thing about STHS: The size so the teachers are able to focus on the students more.

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Alexis Garcia

Future Plans After High School: Would like to go to a college and study Marine Biology. Hopefully get a scholarship for music.

Grade: 10

Interests: Play the piano, and drawing.

Favorite subject in school: Math

Favorite thing about STHS: The community and how everyone works together.

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Samuel Ramirez

Future Plans After High School: Be in the music business

Grade: 9

Interests: Music

Favorite subject in school: English

Favorite thing about STHS: The opportunities that it offers to help me succeed.

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Odessa Christensen

Future Plans After High School: Be an intern at a Photography place.

Grade: 11

Interests: Long board and listen to music

Favorite subject in school: Science

Favorite thing about STHS: That I get to play Volleyball this year.

Checking In With Our Graduates

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Brice Haney

Graduate Year: 2019

What are your plans for this year: Continuing to classes at MHCC and get the general classes out of the way.

What do you miss about STHS: The social aspect of it and the teachers

Advice you would give current STHS students: Apply for scholarships

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Arynne McNamara

Graduate Year: 2019

What are your plans for this year: Working until next year.

What do you miss about STHS: The teachers

Advice you would give current STHS students: To go the extra mile

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Camaren Pursley

Graduate Year: 2019

What are your plans for this year: Attending PSU and MHCC. Hoping to get bachelors degree early during her 4th year. Also working two jobs.

What do you miss about STHS: The teachers. Its really different in the college environment.

Advice you would give current STHS students: Try to have fun but also focus on your academics because it will help you in the future.

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Electronic Flyers

Gresham-Barlow Distict has launched a new electronic flyer tool called “Peachjar.” This service allows us to “go green” and will ensure that every flier is delivered to each household. Peachjar will provide flyers directly to your computer, tablet or mobile device.


To view school-approved flyers, simply click the Peachjar button on your school’s website.

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Upcoming Events

For a list of upcoming events, visit the Springwater Trail High School Website and click on view calendar on the right side of the screen.
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PARENTVUE

Gresham-Barlow School District’s ParentVUE provides parents and guardians access to information regarding their children’s demographic information, attendance activity, reporting period grades and class schedules via the Internet. You may login to ParentVUE using the link on the Parent Resources Page. If you need assistance logging into your ParentVUE account, please contact the Office at 503-261-4600.