IHS June Newsletter

And here we are--at the end of yet another school year. I know I say this every June, but this year seemed to go by even faster than the one before. Thank you to all the parents, families, and community members who helped make this school year such a success. This was my first year as the Head Teacher for IHS, and while it was certainly an adjustment, I thoroughly enjoyed taking on this new role in the school. I am so grateful for this IHS community, my IHS colleagues, and especially our IHS students. I am so proud of the work we've accomplished this year, the connections we've made throughout the schools and community, and the goals we've set for ourselves for next year.

We are all definitely looking forward to our summer break :) But we'll be back soon, refreshed and rejuvenated, and ready to take on another school year in the fall!

I wish you all a relaxing, joyful summer!

Best wishes,

Courtney Dearinger

Last Friday night, we held our IHS graduation ceremony at the Hult Center. IHS holds our own graduation every year, and it's always a favorite night of the year. This year was no exception. We cherish having this time to honor and recognize our amazing seniors and wish them well as they embark on their new adventures after high school. Thanks to everyone who helped plan, organize, and support our graduation this year! And congratulations to our class of 2024!

This spring, our IHS Student Government successfully planned (3) separate Field Days, one at each of our host schools. And they were a huge hit! Students got outside to play football, volleyball, basketball and tag. They had water balloon fights, hula hoop contests, drew beautiful chalk art in the parking lots, and danced to music. They talked, laughed, and signed yearbooks lounging in the grass. I heard from many students that it was a favorite day of the year and a much needed break from the hectic pace of these final weeks of the school year, especially for our juniors and seniors. Thanks to Kayla Punt, Lisa Joye, and Jenny Hehnke, our IHS teacher advisors, and all of our StuGov members!

CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) is a fundamental part of the Eugene IHS experience, and is required for full IB diploma candidates. CAS is designed to involve students in new roles, get them involved in their local community, and explore ways in which current activities can become true learning experiences. The emphasis is on learning by doing real tasks that have tangible outcomes and then reflecting on those experiences. IHS requires (100) CAS hours by the end of senior year, and students can begin counting their hours in the summer before their junior year.

I visited all of our 10th grade classes across the three campuses to explain CAS to the rising juniors. I also encouraged them to start building their CAS hours this summer to get a head start on this important aspect of their IB learning experience. Next year, juniors will learn more about CAS in their Junior Seminar course, where they will also be expected document, record, and reflect on their individual CAS experiences.

Rising seniors have already been hard at work earning CAS hours, and next year, they will complete their required (100) hours as part of the IB diploma process and/or IHS diploma requirements. Seniors will update and track their final CAS hours as part of their IB Theory of Knowledge class next year.

Thank you to all the parents and community members who volunteered to help proctor IB exams this IB season. This year, we had a record number of students taking IB exams--1,397 exams were taken by IHS students in April and May! We couldn't have done it without our parent volunteers, so THANK YOU! If you are interested in volunteering next year (either a returning volunteer or a new volunteer) please reach out to Steve Smith, our IB coordinator (smith_st@4j.lane.edu) for more information about next year's testing season.

Do you have an expertise in one or several areas of study? Are you willing to spend time mentoring a high school student on their research and drafts of their IB Extended Essay? Technical advisors are needed in many different subject areas, across all campuses. We need advisors in Math, Economics, Global Politics, Physics, Biology, Psychology, Literature, and so many more! The time commitment is minimal, and you'd be doing a tremendous service for our juniors as they work on their year-long research papers. Volunteers must pass a 4J background check. Please contact me (dearinger_c@4j.lane.edu) or our EE/CAS coordinator Jenny Hehnke (hehnke_j@4j.lane.edu) if you are interested in becoming a technical advisor for the 2024-2025 school year!

Eugene Education Foundation is a local organization aimed at supporting schools by offering grants for various activities, materials, and educational resources. Your financial support can help us continue to provide the kind of education we have been dedicated to for over 40 years. We are experiencing increasing difficulties in keeping up the rich curriculum that makes Eugene International High School such a successful global learning experience. Your donation to Eugene IHS would help us fulfill our needs and replenish our funds for the future.

In the past, Eugene Education Foundation’s Board of Directors approved Eugene International High School’s grant proposal for $3500 for creating Book Love in 9th grade Global Literature classrooms. Book Love is a program designed to develop passion and stamina in adolescent readers by giving them access to quality, high interest books and time every day in class for silent reading. This grant support was in addition to donor-earmarked gifts for Eugene International High School received through EEF.

If you have not already made a gift this year, would you consider doing so now? Make your check payable to “Eugene IHS/EEF” and mail it to Eugene Education Foundation, P.O. Box 1015, Eugene, Oregon 97440. You can also contribute by credit card or monthly bank transfers. For more information go to https://eeflane.org or call 541-790-7744. Donors will be appropriately acknowledged and all gifts are tax deductible.

OTHER WAYS TO DONATE TO EUGENE IHS: Oregon Community Foundation IHS Alumni Fund: http://oregoncf.org. Once there you can click on “For Donors” to find out the different ways you can give back to Eugene International High School, then contact the Oregon Community Foundation at: (541)431-7099.

Eugene IHS Offices: You can always donate directly to any Eugene IHS Office. We appreciate your commitment to helping Eugene International High School continue to provide rich global learning experiences for students in our community.

Thank you to the dedicated group of parents, teachers, and students who participated in our IHS Site Council meetings this year. We will start again in the fall with a new Site Council--anyone from this year is welcome to return, and we're always looking for new Site Council members! Please keep an eye out for our first IHS newsletter in the fall where we'll announce our meeting dates and times for the new school year.

The district has approved a revised bell schedule for high schools for next year. We will no longer have Flex days on Wednesdays (hooray!) Instead, all schools are moving to a straight A/B/A/B/A schedule, with A/B days rotating throughout the months. Advisory will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesday are still early release, just like this year. Please see the 4j website for more information.

4j has approved the calendar for next year. Please click HERE for a more detailed explanation of the important dates for next school year.