Titan Times Newsletter

Website: http://stweb.gresham.k12.or.us
Location: 1440 SE Fleming Ave, Gresham, OR, United States
Phone: 503-261-4600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpringwaterTrail/
Twitter: @STHS_Titans

Dear Springwater community,

We are half way through the school year! As we embark on 2nd semester, I am extremely proud of the hard work of our students and staff the past 18 weeks. Student attendance is higher than last year and our course failure rates are down across all 4 grade levels.

Our students continue to be involved in activities beyond the classroom. Yesterday, Lurie's Social Studies classes headed down to Portland Center Stage to watch Astoria II, the follow-up play to last year's Astoria. Today, Friday, February 2nd, our school is hosting a blood drive in partnership with Bloodworks Northwest.

Our next school dance is Friday, February 9th. Tickets and guest permission slips are in the office.

February also marks the beginning of our student recruitment. Our World Music program and student ambassadors will be visiting Gordon Russell, West Orient, Deep Creek-Damascus, and Dexter McCarty Middle Schools next week. We will also be hosting 8th graders from Clear Creek Middle School on Tuesday, February 13th.

The evening of February 13th is our annual open house. Please help us spread the word to families of 8th graders if they are interested in learning more about Springwater Trail High School.

First semester grades were mailed out this week. You should be receiving them in the mail shortly. Semester grades are also visible in StudentVue/ParentVue. Please continue to reach out to your student's teachers or the main office if you have questions or concerns.

-Ryan

I am very happy to report that with a semester of study the students are now mostly able to write and speak in simple sentences about several topics. Obviously there will be varying degrees of grammatical correctness depending on how much effort each student has put into the practice homework and speaking activities in class, but everyone is able to communicate in ways that would be understood by a sympathetic listener. Woven through the study of these concepts and vocabulary words have been cultural comparisons to broaden their understanding of other parts of the world. Here are the topics that we have studied.

• Greet people and use courtesy, say goodbye in different ways.
  
• Briefly tell what the weather is.
  
• Give personal information about oneself and others such as name, age, phone number, birthday.
  
• Talk about schedules including days, dates and times for events or activities.
  
• Describe themselves, other people and things.
  
• Talk about classes, what they need for classes, and give opinions about subject areas.
  
• Tell the activities they and their friends like to do, when they do them.
  
• Say who is doing an activity.

The second semester will include food and health, family relationships, shopping and clothing, houses, and household chores.

Please encourage your students to use what they have learned in any way you can. Ask them how to say something, have them order for you in a Mexican restaurant, give them a simple greeting card in Spanish, have them teach you a phrase or read a sign to you.

As always I hope you will contact me with any questions or concerns. I am here every afternoon from 11:00 to 3:30, and sometimes later.

Warmest regards,

Señora Jeffries

As the second semester begins, there is additional academic support at Springwater Trail High School. On Mondays and Tuesdays from 2:30pm-3:30pm our new Student Attendance Liaison, Jessica Hall, will be available for academic support. This additional time will allow students to utilize school resources such as the library and student computers for homework, studying, reading, etc. Students who attend this additional academic support time will need to have their own transportation home on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Wednesday school is also available every week and we encourage students to utilize this time to meet with their teachers, retake quizzes, and get homework help. Students can sign up for a bus ride home at 3:30pm eachWednesday. If you have questions regarding after school support, please call Jessica at 503.261.4624.