Abernethy News

I can't believe that these weeks before winter break are going by so fast!

Thank you so much to all who have donated food and gift cards for our families so far! Your donations are going a long way for some of our families! We will still be collecting any donations through the end of day on Friday, and any donation of food and/or gift cards will make such a big impact!

We have another fun week around Abernethy! OMSI came and visited our Kindergarten classrooms this morning! Our 4th grade classes are heading to OMSI tomorrow, Ms. Shah's class is visiting on Thursday and then Mr. Hutchison's class heads there next Thursday! It is all things OMSI! I have always been impressed with all that OMSI has to offer! A number of years ago, when I was a 4th & 5th grade teacher, my team teachers and I took our 3 blended classes of 4th and 5th grade students to OMSI for the day, arriving at 9:00am, and then stayed for their overnight program! Yes, if you are doing the math, that is over 24 hours inside the OMSI building with 75 4th and 5th grade students! As much as I walked out of the building the following morning saying it was going to be a long time until I returned, my students had an absolute blast, and OMSI had every activity and their schedule down to perfection. I was very impressed, and much to my surprise, I did return shortly after. I may have just stayed away from the Toddler room, which is where we attempted to sleep that night....

Next week is the last week before winter break. We also have an early release day. We will also be holding our annual Holiday Shoppe! Please see the schedule for when your student’s class will be visiting! Please remember, Your student does not need to bring any money in order to shop. This is a 100% PTA sponsored event and there is no money that will be exchanged. This is an opportunity for students to shop for their family members, not themselves, and be able to celebrate the act of giving this holiday season. I would like to thank the PTA and all the volunteers who are working extremely hard to make all this happen!

I am not sure if you all notice when you arrive for afternoon pick up, but our PE classes go until 2:30. Our 2nd grade students have their PE classes right up until the bell at 2:30. You may see students on the field, the blacktop and now, with their basketball unit, you will see them in the covered play area. I am sharing this information to bring awareness to the fact that if you are in any of these spaces, waiting for dismissal, and you are wondering why so many students are around, you most likely are standing in the middle of their PE class. Ms. Hartle has asked that I please share this information, as she is not sure everyone knows that this year, we do in fact have classes that end right before the bell to go home. Sometimes students and most always our teachers, get worried when other people are in the spaces that they are in during school hours.

We are currently up to 55 family responses! Last year we had a total of 86 family responses.

If you have never taken this survey before and are thinking that it may not be worth your time, here are some questions on the survey that we are hoping to get your feedback on. Remember, all responses are anonymous, but your feedback only helps us build our school to be the best that it can be for all our students!

Family - School Communication:

How helpful has the communication from your child's school been this year?

How comfortable do you feel communicating with your child's school?

School Climate:

How much does the school value the diversity of your children's backgrounds?

How well do administrators at your child's school create a school environment that helps children learn?

School Fit:

How well do the activities offered at your child's school match their interests?

How well do the teaching styles of your child's teacher match your child's learning style?

At your child's school, how well does the overall approach to discipline work for your child?

Please consider spending a little time filling out the survey.

The Successful Survey will end on December 16th

Each December, Abernethy students look forward to shopping at our beloved Holiday Shop, where they can find inexpensive, handmade craft gifts created by families and community members. This year, thanks to PTA funding, the Holiday Shop will be free for all students! They’ll have the chance to shop for gifts for their teachers, friends, and family, spreading holiday cheer across the school.

The shop will be open during school hours on Tuesday, December 17 and Thursday, December 19. We’ll be sharing the students’ shopping schedule soon. The volunteer sign-ups are now on Konstella. Please help out with the Holiday Shop – it’s a lot of fun!

In the meantime, we invite you to get involved by joining one of our four evening craft parties this week. Richelle Sandoval has generously volunteered to host up to eight crafty volunteers each evening to make a variety of fun and festive items, including garden fairies, pet toys and treats, hair clips, potpourri satchels, ornaments, candy cane reindeer, tea bag trees and more.

The craft parties will be held on December 11, 12, 13, and 15 from 6 pm to 10 pm. It’s a great way to support the Holiday Shop, meet other families, and unleash your creativity! Sign up here to join the fun and lend a hand. We look forward to seeing you there!

We still need a few more volunteers to cover lunch and recess duties this Friday, December 13. Sign up for a shift here to give our wonderful teachers and staff a well-deserved break. You may sign up to cover any shift, not just one specific to your child’s classroom. Many thanks to all who have already volunteered to make lunch and recess a smooth and enjoyable time for everyone!

As we approach the holidays, we want to show our appreciation for all of Abernethy’s amazing staff, including our non-classroom teachers, counselor, health room staff, paraprofessionals, office staff, bus drivers, custodians, and more. In previous years, we’ve raised over $2000 to fund group gifts, and we hope to do the same this year.

The PTA is fundraising for gifts for 24 staff members and 5 bus drivers. Participation is voluntary, and any amount is appreciated. If you'd like to contribute, please complete this Google Form by Monday, December 16 at 5 pm. You can pay via Venmo, cash, or check. If you’re contributing via Venmo, we’ll send you a Venmo request based on your response in the Google Form. If you’re contributing via cash or check, you may give your donation to Kelly Noack at morning dropoff or to Richelle Sandoval (text Richelle to arrange a time).

Gifts will be distributed on Friday, December 20, and the card attached to each gift will read, “Happy Holidays! From: Your Abernethy Families.” Specific contributors will not be identified. If you prefer to give individual gifts, you can find staff favorites on Konstella. Thank you for your support and generosity in making Abernethy such a wonderful place!

Registration for the spring season is open at Southeast Portland Little League, with Early Bird Pricing available ($20 off per player) through Sunday, December 15. Steep sibling discounts are also offered, and scholarships are available. Each season, we enroll more than 50 Abernethy players, who have helped SEPLL to six district championships over the past two summers. We welcome players from preschool ages all the way up through middle school. Come join our vibrant and inclusive community by registering today! Questions? Please contact Doug Lee (Phoenix, 3rd; Jasper, Hosford) at info@sepll.org.

How can parents help to develop students who are principled at home?

What you do as a parent matters. How you treat and respond to your child should come from a knowledgeable, deliberate sense of what you want to accomplish.

• You cannot be too loving. It is simply not possible to spoil a child with love. What we often think of as the product of spoiling a child is never the result of showing a child too much love. It is usually the consequence of giving a child things in place of love.
• Connect behavior to character.
• Provide opportunities for your child to make their own decisions, discuss the consequences of their decisions.
• Read and tell stories in which the story characters demonstrate making principled decisions
• Discuss how being principled is life long commitment and well sought after as a characteristic to have.

Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hossee

'Hey, Little Ant' can help students see the world through the eyes of an ant. Learning to understand others’ perspectives supports the development of empathy in children. This story is a dialogue between a boy and an ant. The boy tries to decide if he should squish the ant, and the ant makes a compelling case for his survival. The ending asks the reader to decide the outcome: "What do you think the kid should do? This makes for a perfect opportunity to discuss the ethical treatment of living creatures and opens discussions for being principled.

1) How do you think the Ant feels about the boy from the book?

2) Explain how the boy feels about the Ant.

3) Explain why the Ant feels that his own life does matter.

4) Which point of view do you agree with and why?

5) Explain your thinking on what the boy should do at the end of the story.

6) If you were the boy, what would you do at the end? Would you squish the ant? Or would you let the ant go free? And why?

If you see someone in a wheelchair, you might think he or she couldn't compete in a race. But...you might be wrong. What if you see a child with no hair? Do you think she is embarrassed all the time? How about a kid who has a really hard time reading? Do you think that means he's not smart? You might think so. But...you might be wrong.

Discussion Questions for What If Everybody Thought That

• Have you ever had a thought like someone in this book?
• Remind your child or student that they are in a safe place to be honest.
• Do you think you might miss out on something because of a thought-friendship, experience, etc?
• Think back to one example in the story. How did the example turn out differently than the thought? Where you surprised?