ETON EDITION Vol. 35 No. 5
March 2013
From the Head of School
Security at Eton School: An Ongoing Process At the January Parent Council meeting, we had a lively discussion centered on the subject of security at Eton School and what steps could be taken to make the campus safer and improve the security of our community. I sent an e-mail on February 1 detailing some steps taken at school, and I would like to tell you more about the ongoing process of examining future measures. As a reminder, the steps implemented already include keeping doors locked to help prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to area where children are present, ensuring that all adults on campus display some sort of identification showing them to be an authorized visitor or a member of the faculty/staff. The latter step involves making sure that visitors and parents sign in when visiting Eton. These steps, of course, are not the end of the actions we will take to address existing issues. We do, however, want to make sure that any steps we take will achieve the goals we have. As a result, we have recently had two visitors to campus to survey our facility and procedures and give us recommendations regarding next steps. A School Resource Officer from the Bellevue Police Department visited campus in early February, and a private security consultant (specializing in schools) visited during the Mid-Winter Break. These visits resulted in several recommendations regarding ways to improve the physical security of our campus, and methods for improving policies and procedures. We are now in the process of prioritizing these recommendations and developing a timetable for implementation based on logistical feasibility and financial capacity. We will soon be installing a new phone system that will improve campus communications (and improve communications between school and home). We will also be getting estimates for improved door locks, minor structural changes, additional lighting, and possible
changes to landscaping. With some of these changes, there will also be procedural changes; we will keep you apprised of any modifications. Because some steps will involve considerable work and possible disruptions to classrooms, those steps will not be implemented until a break when students are not on campus. Please know that we take the matter of security very seriously and that the safety and well-being of our students is critical among our concerns. Thank you for your support and continuing to trust us with the care of your loved ones. Dr. Russell Smith, Head of School
In This Issue Development................................................................ 2 Admission..................................................................... 3 Clubhouse FAQs......................................................... 4 PNMA News................................................................ 4 Tuition Refund Plan FAQs....................................... 5 Class News.................................................................... 6 Specialist News............................................................ 9 From the Office.......................................................... 15
Eton School Newsletter
Development
Fundraising Auction: Collaborative Spirit and Support Shines! Excitement filled the air of Glendale Country Club on Saturday, February 9, as the Eton community gathered for the annual fundraiser auction. Like the Spring Event and the Cultural Fair, the auction is another event where the collaborative spirit of Eton really shines. Current parents, alumni parents, Eton staff, current students, and alumni students all contributed. Teachers and their students worked enthusiastically to produce spectacular classroom projects. Parents feverishly procured items from local businesses for the silent and live auction sections. Parents and staff worked on invitations, online registration, data entry, registration packets, decorations, the slide show, music, and balloon masterpieces, just to name a few of the jobs and details that go into putting on a successful auction! The venue looked amazing after a group of parents carefully transported classroom projects, auction items, desserts, and decorations to Glendale and then arranged everything beautifully to create a wonderful auction setting. Everyone involved in any of the myriad of responsibilities had a good time getting to know other parents and staff while helping out with the whole auction process. The bottom line is that we could not have done it without the help of so many people and we at Eton extend to all of you an enormous thank you! It is evident that people value Eton School, the program, the students, and the teachers, and want to support it however they can.
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We raised $103,000 and it is still climbing as we receive matching funds from various employers. After expenses, we estimate that the net profit will be around $78,000. These funds go towards program enhancements such as assemblies, venue rentals for theater performances, special trips, guest lecturers, as well as the purchase of new materials at all grade levels. Raise the Paddle at this year’s auction was for a new website and when the exciting flurry of bidding subsided, we had raised $28,500. A school’s website plays a crucial role in communication for current families, teachers and prospective parents. A new website will help the Eton community continue to grow and flourish. There is still an opportunity to join in and donate to the new Eton website and technology investments. We highly value your support for this project. To contribute, please use this link: https://etonschool.ejoinme.org/raisethepaddle We still have lovely Eton pewter pendants on sale for $45. One is on display in the lobby of the main building (and photo below). A few centerpeice lanterns are for sale as well. In addition, there are a few seats left for the iPic movie afternoon with Eton on Sunday, March 17. If you are interested in any of these, please contact me (mmaling@etonschool.org). Thank you again to everyone who helped to make the fundraising auction such a fantastic success! Monica Mailing, Development Director
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Admission
Are You Making Plans for Summer? Like many parents, you are starting to make plans for the summer. Eton is also finalizing plans for its Summer Program that will include a variety of classes for all age groups. As in the past, classes will be offered for all levels. The lower and pre-elementary summer classes will continue to offer the Montessori curriculum in a relaxed summer pace with more outdoor activities in the gardens and habitat. Eton’s upper students will be offered classes during the weeks of June 24 and July 1 taught by Ms. Everson and Mr. Kashevarof. During the morning, math, writing, and literature studies will challenge students with work based on individual ability. The afternoon will incorporate science, technology, art and engineering with hands on activities and projects. There will also be a healthy infusion of PE! Eton’s summer classes are especially helpful to those students moving up to the next level, as they will provide an introduction to the new level. Several other programs will be offered during the summer. Once again, Mary Springer will be offering Pandemonium Players during the week of June 24. This is a fun music and drama class including drama games and songs culminating in a showcase on the last day for parents and friends to enjoy. Pandemonium Players has been a popular summer offering at Eton for many years. The summer program also includes six weeks of Lukas Allenbaugh’s animation classes running from June 24 through August 2. Students work in small teams to produce unique Lego, clay and hand drawn animations using iPads. Class themes include Robots 3, Wacky Olympics, Top Secret, Monsterz, Alien Morphs and Topsy Turvy 3D. All lessons integrate math/science and visual/language arts. Visit www.cancancancan.com (4 cans) to view over 1000 student works and see class commercials. Design Plus Education will once again be offering a challenging and exciting architecture course in design
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education during the week of July 22. Students will explore the world of design and find the designer within. They will experiment with the basic design ideas and elements in architecture by exploring light and shadow, shapes, design materials, and color — through various design projects. Each project will provide students with an engaging insight in the environment built around them, multi-dimensional tools for creative thinking. Design Plus will be visiting Eton on March 18 for a brief demo. A flyer with more details will be included with the summer brochure. Rumor has it that Madame Parisa, Eton’s French teacher might also be offering a few weeks of French classes during July. More details about her program will be available soon! So as you plan your summer calendar, be sure to consider the variety of summer classes at Eton. We would love to have you join us! Summer brochures and flyers will be distributed at spring conferences. Families may also conveniently download a summer brochure from the website. Cherie Goetz, Admission Director
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Clubhouse FAQs What are the changes being made to Clubhouse fees in the 2013-14 school year? Next year, parents will no longer be required to prepay for Clubhouse. At the end of each month, the Business Office will calculate each student’s use of Clubhouse and bill the family for only the days used. Usage of Clubhouse will be billed by a flat rate per day rather than hourly. The rate will be $10 for before-school childcare only and $20 for after school childcare (if a family is billed for after school Clubhouse, then morning childcare will be complimentary on the same day).
$20 per day seems rather expensive. Will there be a grace period after school before we are charged the $20 for Clubhouse? Yes. Mezzo Clubhouse will be complimentary after school until 3:45 pm to accommodate those parents who may be “running late” for regular dismissal. In the Main Building, there will be no charge for Clubhouse unless a student is picked up after 4:15 pm.
What if my student is attending an Afterschool Class? Will we be charged for both the class and Clubhouse? Clubhouse use is complimentary before an Enrichment Class. If a student is checked into Clubhouse after an Enrichment Class, there will be a charge for that day.
What will be the fee for Early Dismissal days and for full-day Clubhouse? On Early Dismissal days, Childcare will be a flat rate of $30. On Early Dismissal days, childcare is complimentary in the Mezzo Clubhouse until 12:30 pm and the Main Building Clubhouse until 1:00 pm. On days when Clubhouse is open but there is no school, Clubhouse will be billed for either a half day ($30 for four hours or less of use) or for a full day ($70 for more than four hours of use).
PNMA News
PNMA: Observing Children in a Classroom On Saturday, February 23, several Eton Montessori teachers attended the Pacific Northwest Montessori Association’s winter event. Pacific Northwest Montessori Association (PNMA) is a local, volunteer organization of Montessori professionals. PNMA hosts three events each school year with the goal of promoting Montessori education, supplementing teacher training, and providing continuing education in child development. Our guest speaker was Paul Epstein, Ph.D. who has worked in Montessori education since 1976 in a variety of positions from classroom teacher to administrator. Dr. Epstein spent the daylong seminar elaborating on aspects of his
book An Observers Notebook: Learning from Children with the Observation C.O.R.E. He stressed the importance of observation as an important tool to aid teachers in understanding, learning from, and teaching children. Participants had the opportunity to practice observation skills and record keeping by viewing still pictures and videos of children working in a Montessori classroom. This workshop gave participants encouragement and a renewed commitment to become, in Dr. Montessori’s words, “joyous observers.” Holly Fleming, Faculty
Spring Break: April 8–12 Spring Break falls between Monday, April 8 and Friday, April 12. School is closed. Clubhouse
(childcare) is open. Please pre-register for Clubhouse online. School resumes on Monday, April 15. 4 | ETON EDITION
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Tuition Refund Plan FAQs What is the Tuition Refund Plan? The Tuition Refund Plan is a program that protects a family’s investment in a child’s education and the school’s budgeted income. The premium for the insurance varies depending on grade level.
How does the Tuition Refund Plan help parents? The financial obligation of a family is for the full annual tuition; extended payment plans do not constitute prorated contracts. In the event of an unexpected withdrawal or dismissal, the plan protects the investment made by parents by refunding a portion of the unused tuition. The plan will pay 60% of the prorated, unused tuition.
How does the Tuition Refund Plan help the school? Eton School incurs expenses on an annual basis. The Tuition Refund Plan is designed to mitigate problems associated with potential financial loss caused by student withdrawals and dismissals. When a student withdraws, the school’s fixed costs remain unchanged. The budgeted revenue of the school is protected by the plan.
What types of withdrawal does the Tuition Refund Plan cover? The plan covers withdrawal for the following reasons: • Illness or injury • Transfer of family • Scholastic failure • Disciplinary dismissal • Financial problems • Change of objective • Emotional difficulties • Death of parent or student
If the school does not offer the Tuition Refund Plan, what are the options for the school when a student withdraws? Without the plan, the school has two options. The school may either forgive all or part of the tuition obligation, or the school can hold the parents accountable to pay under the terms of the enrollment contract. If the school cancels all or part of the tuition obligation, the school gives up a portion of the revenue budgeted for the current year and sets a potentially expensive precedent. If the school forces the parents to pay, the process can be acrimonious and costly.
What do other schools do? Typically, independent schools treat annual tuition as a financial obligation due in full once the school year begins. The National Business Officer’s Association recently conducted a survey of 120 schools. Of the 120 schools: • 71% offer a tuition refund plan • 40% make the plan mandatory for everyone (others make it mandatory if tuition is not paid in full in advance) • 93% of those offering a plan pass the cost on to parents • Enrollment breakdown of schools responding: ›› 0-50 students 1% ›› 51-100 students 4% ›› 101-200 students 16% ›› 201 or more students 78% MARCH 2013
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Class News
Fourth Grade: Can’t We All Get Along? Learning About Unity Ms. Sonja Everson, Mrs. Tricia Wray and Dr. Susan Walker Can’t we all get along? We can, according to Randie Gottlieb, Ph.D., author of the curriculum, Teaching Unity: A Guide for Parents and Teachers with Learning Activities for Ages 8 – 12. In our life skills class, fourth grade students are learning about our essential unity, that we are all members of one race – the human race. Without unity, we cannot solve the world’s most difficult problems like war, poverty, hunger, pollution, and disease, nor can we come together as a community. Students are also learning how important our diversity is in giving us beauty, variety, choices, and new ideas. Fresh ideas and different points of view are valuable as they can help us find solutions to the problems that confront us. Fourth graders discovered that we are all shades of brown/tan, from the lightest to the darkest skin color, how our skin color comes from our ancestors and where they lived in relation to the sun, and how our common ancestors began in Africa before spreading out to populate the planet. We have discussed prejudice and how easy it is to pre-judge and make assumptions about people before we even know them. In our weekly class meetings, students are applying this knowledge of unity in diversity by practicing respect and active listening, valuing different opinions and ideas in order to solve class problems, and trying to put ourselves
in each other’s shoes. In our weekly book club, we are reading the book Crash by Jerry Spinelli, in which themes of bullying, differences, acceptance, tolerance, and understanding are discussed. Each subject has a different way for students to come together for brainstorming solutions to various problems. From managing materials for a group activity to solving a math problem, the fourth grade teachers value each opportunity to encourage problem-solving skill development.
Fifth Grade: Compounding Health Interest Mr. Peter Kashevarof and Ms. Candace Davidson A goal of almost any class is to take the principal amount of knowledge the students have, and then build that up to some extraordinary sum of wealth, forming a good investment of time and effort. This year, with the stock market as it is, the fifth graders must be happy with the return on the investment of their health class portfolio, or at least, they should be safely out of the red. Since the beginning of the year, the students have studied the heart, blood, the circulatory system, and how nutrients and other materials travel through the body. Prepared with this knowledge, the students took a field trip to the University of Washington’s School of Pharmacy. Working with a professor and four graduate students, the fifth graders had a whirlwind tour of the many things pharmacists are responsible for. One of the highlights was the compounding lab where they mixed and measured ingredients, assembled capsules, and bottled the results of their efforts, just as pharmacists
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do. Moreover, it is safe to say that the students had a great time, with no intolerance for the lab or the lactose powder they were working with.
Students, a parent chaperon, and a graduate student working on compounding.
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Class News The students also experienced some of the University of Washington’s campus life; they visited the HUB for lunch, went in the Harry Potter-like reading room of the Suzzallo Library, saw one of the world’s largest books, and hung out in Red Square. All in all, the fifth graders had a good dose of educational fun, compounding the value of their academic and social interests. The University of Washington faculty hopes to make this an annual
event, and it is a safe investment that future Eton fifth graders will make those visits as successful as this year’s.
Students exploring the reading room (Harry Potter not pictured).
Sixth Grade: Math Mentors—Connecting with Peers Mrs. Marjie Butler, Ms. Laura Moore, and Dr. Susan Walker The fourth grade and sixth grade math classes are making connections through a math mentorship project. Sixth grade students are being trained to mentor fourth grade students in math, as part of a service learning project. The following interviews are the students’ reflections on the experiences they have had and what they are looking forward to in future Math Mentoring sessions.
Madrona (sixth grade)
I was really nervous when I first walked into the classroom because I didn’t know most of the kids. Once we got started and they got comfortable asking me questions, I also relaxed. The problems were tricky, but I managed to explain them to the students. At the end, I felt like I had known them for a long time and felt at ease.
Jon (sixth grade)
I felt it was a good Idea. It went well… . He listened completely and became more serious. We were working through problems that he had trouble with from a review… .
Joshua (fourth grade)
I thought that I would have to do a lot more work because I would usually not do that much work at once….While we were doing it [my partner] helped to get some work done… . A lot of model drawing and word problems, those are my least favorite type of math problems.
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Isabella (fourth grade)
It was going to be cool and fun to have them help. They helped with different things. It was good to have more teachers around. We were doing decimals. They kind of explained it more— if you don’t understand the instructions [my partners] used more different terms [and I could understand it].
Serena (sixth grade)
I was really excited and I wanted to help them. I understand that area of math. It went really well. Ms. Gonzales asked me to act as a mentor to a particular student. [My partner] asked me questions and I explained tips that she could use. ETON EDITION | 7
Class News Keeler (fourth grade)
When I heard [they were coming], I thought they were going to come to the very next math class. I was really excited there would be a bunch of people to come faster to help… . I read the problems and [my partner] helped me figure out what I was supposed to do. [I think we should] have as many sixth graders come in as possible.
Kavya (sixth grade)
When I first heard about it, it seemed really exciting…. When I went [to the class] I thought
it would be difficult if I didn’t know the answers, it was fourth grade math. I realized I could go and ask the teacher. The teacher suggested I work with specific students and so I ended up working with one in a particular. I thought it was fun. Students are looking forward to it again and the other students in both classes will have the opportunity to connect with their peers through the math classes in the future. A huge thank you to all of the people that worked to make this project possible: Gwen Williams, Tricia Wray, Laura Moore, Sonja Everson, and Beth Gonzales.
Seventh and Eighth Grades Mrs. Marjie Butler, Ms. Laura Moore, and Dr. Susan Walker
Thanks to a grant from The Russell Family Foundation, our 7th and 8th grade students were able to participate in the Salish Sea Expedition Source program. Several students describe this opportunity below.
When with Dogs and Scuds: Water Quality Sampling at Marymoor Park By Matthew Ludeman, Michael van der Hoeven, and Gitu Devadoss “I was excited to go out and do testing outside of school because it was more interesting. I am going to do it some more.” For two weeks in January, the Eton seventh and eighth grade classes spent time with Salish Sea Expedition science educators who came and worked with us here in our classroom. We developed questions about water quality in our neighborhood watershed and decided to sample the water quality at Marymoor Park in our groups of five class pods. We sampled in the Cirque Du Soleil parking lot, marsh, stream, and dog ark. Our sampling typically involved testing copper concentration in the water because we have learned that Puget Sound has dangerous concentrations in the water from copper sloughing off car brake pads, and this copper harms salmon and other sensitive creatures in the watershed. We also looked at macro-invertebrates, also called scuds, in the streambed. These indicator organisms helped us gain a better understanding of the water quality. “There will be more copper in the Cirque du Soleil parking lot than there will be in the dog park area because more car brake pads are used in the parking lot.” This is an example of one of our five hypotheses. We sampled water at different locations throughout Marymoor Park for two days. When we left school to test, we felt excited because it was fun to learn about what was around us. We got to collect actual data using scientific instruments such as the colorimeter, bully pull, bucket-o-meter, kick net, fecal coliform petri plates, copper testing tablets, and nitrate, as well as phosphate, testing solutions. We were able to collect useful data using real equipment.
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“I was excited… we jumped into the river in our waders, feeling a strange vacuum sensation around our legs.” Getting the data samples was sometimes hard work and the weather was definitely chilly. We took measurements and ran our tests at the park, then looked for patterns back in the classroom. After checking our results, we realized that not everything went as planned. We had technical difficulties, mainly attributed to human error in the sampling process. Each Pod created a PowerPoint presentation to share our findings with others. The work was so much fun and very exciting. One of our pods studied macro-invertebrates, tiny indicator organisms found in streams… ”It was cool to check out different macro invertebrates in the stream and use this information to determine how healthy the water is. It was exciting to see if our results made sense because these are real numbers from the real-world.” VOL 35 NO. 5
Class News We had many highlights on the trip. Two groups saw herons in the dog park and another group saw a man using a boomerang. The pod that went into the river played Frisbee with a dog, as well. “We got to see dogs! We found a Frisbee in the water and got to play with one of the dogs in the park. He liked us until he got bored,” one student laughed. Puget Sound is an industrial harbor with a waterfront, port city, and boats traveling through. It is a part of the ecosystem. It is important that we keep the Puget Sound watershed healthy because it affects all of us. This experience taught us more about pollution in the Puget Sound and how healthy it really is.
Specialist News
Latin: Making the Connection Mrs. Ellen Gatton Latin is a language dead All dead who ever spoke it As dead as it can be. All dead who ever wrote it First it killed the Romans, All dead who ever learned it And now it’s killing me Blessed dead, they’ve surely earned it Latin students have chanted this little rhyme for generations as they struggle to learn the declensions and conjugations in a highly inflected language so different from English. And yes, Latin is technically a dead language because it is not widely spoken in the world any longer. However, many of us use phrases like carpe diem (seize the day), et cetera (etc.), and tell time using am and pm. Many of us fail to notice the bits and pieces of Latin that work themselves into our everyday lives—a myriad of phrases and abbreviations. In fact, just about 75% of the English language is made up of Latin, as is most medical and legal terminology. The language still lives through the five Romance languages: Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian. It has been my experience that learning Latin sharpens basic mental processes including attention span, logic, and analytical thinking. Latin strengthens critical thinking, fosters precision in the use of English, and enhances general language learning aptitudes. What does this have to with Eton students? What good is it to learn a language that you cannot use to communicate? It turns out, Eton students can and do use Latin to converse, and remarkably, speaking the language is an incredibly effective way to internalize all of that complicated vocabulary and grammar. It is also surprisingly fun to teach it this way. We begin in the fourth grade by learning how to greet each other, how to be excused for the restroom, and how to say the Pledge of Allegiance along with the vocabulary for animals and numbers. Young students become confident with the pronunciation and are exposed to MARCH 2013
some fairly complicated syntax that they will encounter in later years. Fifth grade students, after they learn a few adjectives and how to conjugate the verb ‘to be,’ have passionate conversations about who is being what: “Are you a big frog?” “Yes, I am.” “He is not.” “They are not frogs. They are bad cows.” Then we get into why they are or are not, which makes for some very curious and lively stories. Latin dictionaries are plentiful in case we get stuck on a word, and of course English derivatives are always ‘ah ha’ moments, e.g., canis >L. dog = canine. Sixth grade students get right into the first two noun declensions, prepositions, and the present and past tense of action verbs. Ardent conversations take place about why the farmer was walking out the door and into the woods or why the pretty turtles are living in the house when really the farmer should be there with his pink pig. Sometimes Beyoncé is there too. Advanced Latin students work through their text speaking and reading Latin each day in a way that is understandable to them. We use picture or prop based listening comprehension activities, absorbing the grammar and vocabulary embedded in the stories. We sometimes do a cooperative story and somebody or some thing usually ends up exploding in whatever tense we are targeting. Sometimes it is Beyoncé. Writing a story from a prompt helps students think creatively and to problem solve using vocabulary and grammar structures from past and current lessons. The objective of the Eton Latin program is to encourage students to become life long learners and use Latin for personal enjoyment and enrichment. It is driven by students gaining the ability to read and understand Latin on its own terms without having to constantly translate it into English. Ideally, they acquire the language and develop lasting usable and useful communication skills. Latin is fun! ETON EDITION | 9
Specialist News
Upper Level Physical Education: Leadership, Team Building and Fun! Mr. Kevin Gilfillan Upper level students participates in five off campus Physical Education (PE) events each year: a mile run in the fall and spring, Skate King in January, field day in June, and Arena Sports in March. Arena Sports, a favorite site, is a team building, game infused afternoon of high energy, skill, and participation. Upper level students divide into multi age teams and use the indoor facility for lacrosse, dodge ball, floor hockey, and capture the flag. The format offers leadership opportunities, team building skills, a variety of games, and everyone has a great time!
Lower Elementary, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grade Art: A Journey with Circles, Illumination and Sculptures Mr. Clay Blankenship Lower elementary continues the journey with circles. The students saw how curved lines become circles and the correlation of curves to create shapes. One lesson that continued the circles, curves, and shapes was based on an alphabet in a cuneiform. They were very active in story telling throughout each project to create the background detail. One of the most brilliant lessons to see evolve over the weeks of art classes was the illuminated manuscript. The students selected the initial to illuminate for a chosen subject and then they began to tell the story in regards to the subject. A great example was H for horses. I found out that horses like grass and that horses run fast, how awesome is it to hear the direct and spot on voices of our young students. I was amazed as I watched students put together ideas that are incredibly fascinating. The stories ranged from underwater expeditions to the incredible western range. I look forward to the continued progress and idea development as we continue our journey with the circles. The upper students worked on several projects that established clear strengths in each students skill set. They worked with spheres as a sculptural form to create animals using personal ideas to create the features,
including head to toe/tail details. The projects showed remarkable detail through the use of plaster cloth. Each student mastered the ability to form and shape the plaster cloth according to the necessary details. They took on the challenge of working with balsa foam for relief sculpture. This material is lightweight and not a single student broke the balsa in the process, very impressive. The visual images ranged from a tree frog to a yin and yang symbol. The process included drawing the image, creating the embossed line of the image followed with the process of removing layers of balsa wood. The wood relief was stunning and each student had the chance to print. The functions of balsa wood allowed for a wide range of projects and technique experiences. Once carved, the balsa wood block could be painted to create a finished image or printed onto paper similar to traditional printmaking. Upon completion of printing, one could paint the balsa as the final relief sculpture. The balsa experience allowed students to see the versatility of one medium and how creativity can be a continual force that challenges and inspires our senses. With such wonderful students, I look forward to their future endeavors for the visual arts.
Fourth and Fifth Grade Art: Positive and Negative Spaces Ms. Margery Lamden Eton students continue to be a pleasure to work with. The inspiration for our current project came from an abstract sculpture created by David Smith. I pointed out how the artist was concerned with positive and negative spaces that were defined by the placement of forms. After a little
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practice in the safe use of glue guns, the students began constructing wood sculptures that would incorporate positive and negative spaces as well as being sturdy. We discussed how the forms interact with one another and how it looks as if they were suspended, untouched by VOL 35 NO. 5
Specialist News gravity. One of the students said, “Wow, I can see new spaces within the sculpture as I view it from different angles. This looks awesome!” I am proud of the ability
of our artists to explore new techniques and skillful achievements. These sculptures will be coming home for everyone to enjoy!
Fourth and Fifth Grade Spanish: Gaining Confidence Ms. Concepcion Miranda-Perez
Spring is almost here and like the seeds planted in the fall, the children have grown and become more mature. During these winter months, the fourth and fifth grade students gained confidence in the practice of the Spanish language at various levels. In addition, they studied the winter celebrations and traditions in Spain, Mexico and other Hispanic countries in the world. December and January brought the celebrations of Las Posadas, La Navidad, Nochevieja, Los Reyes Magos, the singing of villancicos (Christmas Carols) and learning to play la pandereta (Spanish tambourine). February brought the Mexican legend of La China Poblana, La Candelaria, La Danza del Venado, and Carnaval de Oruro from La Paz, Bolivia. Fourth and fifth grade students advanced their understanding of Spanish and how to use it in a practical manner. The fourth grade students gained confidence in creating their own sentences. They acquired new vocabulary to identify and name the places and objects in their house, the activities for each season, and different types of foods. They increased their understanding of the formation of Spanish subject pronouns, prepositions and action verbs. In addition, they improved their verbal skills through the reciting of poems, singing, and interacting in Spanish. They used their creativity by working on projects about el Invierno (winter), cosas en la casa (things in the house), mi familia (my family) and mi comida favorita
(my favorite food), where students represented a specific concept using only Spanish and their imagination. The fifth grade students acquired a greater fluency in understanding and knowing the functions of Spanish. Through reading, writing and comprehension, the students learned new structures such as the present and past tenses of regular verbs, as well as the irregular verbs gustar (to like), and ir (to go). The students also enhanced their verbal skills by reciting, singing or acting out practical situations in Spanish, such as expressing what they like, describing the climate in different parts of the world or simply talking about their favorite sport or famous artist. Reading the Spanish magazine Que tal? brought the students closer to Spanish culture and the trends of their peers in Spain and Latin America in a fun and dynamic way. During these months, the students worked on individual projects such as Mi actividad favorita (My favorite activity), Hablo de una persona famosa (Talking about a famous person), and Mi Diagrama Venn (My Venn diagram), which compared the climate in two countries. My goal is to keep students engaged in learning the target language through a varied dynamic approach and to present them the uniqueness cultural diversity of the Spanish world. Knowledge is a key element to become a wiser, more productive citizen in the society that we all share.
Lower Elementary and Pre-elementary French: Making the Language Acquisition Journey Fun Ms. Parisa Behzad-Pour We have been very busy working on different themes and activities in French class. As the students feel more confident and comfortable expressing themselves in French, I gradually introduce different themes and grammar points. We use any opportunity and any occasion to make our language acquisition’s journey fun. With the help of flash cards, games, music and crafts, themes are introduced and practiced. In the pre-elementary classes, Mezzo 4 and Mezzo A children enjoy lessons based on Total Physical Response (TPR) practice. Animals from the wild, from the sea and from the farm have been introduced. Parts of the body and actions related to each part, incorporated nouns along with verbs. The children explored vocabulary to describe feelings and emotions during the Valentine season. MARCH 2013
Occupation and community helpers will be the next theme before I finish the session with these two classes. I recently developed a musical based curriculum that has shown success with lower classes. While expanding vocabulary and accurate pronunciation have been an ultimate goal, I have always looked for ways to go beyond words and improve comprehension. With a “musical echoing” method, students are encouraged to repeat the verses in the song where vocabulary has been discussed. This way they come to make sentences and understand better the role of each word and its place in the sentence. It also helps to expand more parts of speech, such as prepositions. The following themes and activities covered so far: Parts of the body and expressing if any part hurts. Singular and plural. How to use the form Il y a … (There ETON EDITION | 11
Specialist News is/are). Family members and sentences to express their love towards them J’aime …. Some popular verbs and actions. Adjective Possessives My/Your/His/Her. I am very trilled with their enthusiasm and hard work during French and I hope you have enjoyed the beautiful French Valentine cards they made for some
family members. I was impressed with some of their creativity. We also talked briefly about Mardi Gras, which was around same time as Valentine this year. I am really glad that the curriculum and lesson plans that I developed this year have been working to broaden language experiences for Eton’s students.
Lower Elementary and Pre-elementary Spanish: Ask Your Child to be Your Spanish Teacher Ms. Enid Mendez Flores
I think the best answer to ‘Why learn a foreign language’ is that it may make one’s life richer. Not only after one knows it, but even during the learning.... Viewed as a decision to fill a stretch of time with stimulating, purposeful activity, the undertaking of learning a foreign language can be a delightful voyage full of new expressions and ideas. One is glad to go slowly and savor the trip.—Dr Paul Pimsleur
We are having so much fun in Mezzo 2 and Mezzo 3 with our unit El Mercado (the market). The students learned the name of the most popular fruits and veggies in Spanish and they said si me gusta/no me gusta (I like / I Don’t like) when they saw the props. The family unit was very easy for them and they learned the following: abuelo, mama, papa, hermano, hermana y bebe (grandparents, mom, dad, brother, sister and baby). Of course, in every class we reviewed the basic Spanish phrases in our daily routines with songs that include: Greetings: Buenos dias/noches (good morning/night) ¿Como estas? (How are you?) Muy bien, gracias (very good, thank you). Weather: soleado (sunny), nublado (cloudy), lluvia (rainy). Answer questions: ¿Como te llamas? (What’s your name?) ¿Como te sientes? (How do you feel?), ¿Donde vives? (Where do you live?). In the lower elementary classes, the students were really proud when we made a family tree using Spanish
vocabulary for the members of the family, which included grandparents, parents, sister/ brother, aunts, uncles, cousins and pets. The unit clima y ropa (weather and clothes) gave us an opportunity to have some fashion shows. In describing what the models wore, the students practiced the new vocabulary and reviewed the colors too. The children have been learning how to ask and then answer questions in Spanish. This provides practice with comprehension. Questions: ¿Como esta el clima? (How is the weather?), ¿Que dia es hoy/ayer/manana? (What day is today/ yesterday/tomorrow?) ¿Que fecha es hoy? (What date is today?), ¿Cuando es tu cumpleanos? (When is your birthday?) ¿Como se llama tu mama/papa? (What’s your mom/dad’s name?) It is amazing how fast and well the children learn another language! They are like sponges! So, do not be afraid to ask your child to be your Spanish teachers. Gracias y hasta pronto.
Lower Elementary and Pre-elementary Japanese: Celebrations, Vocabulary, Books and More Ms. Yuko Azemoto Spring is a season of celebration in Japan. On March 3, we have a Hinamatsuri festival or the Doll’s festival, to celebrate a young girl or daughter’s wellness and happiness. We decorate Hina dolls, and eat special food such as chirashi zushi and colorful rice crackers. May 5 is Tango no Sekku, or Boy’s Festival, a day honoring little boys. We fly carp streamers in our garden or rooftops and display samurai warrior dolls in the house. In the spring, many Japanese people enjoy cherry blossoms or sakura that are in full bloom for just a few weeks. Sakura is a national symbol and many communities hold spring festivals to celebrate the arrival of the blossoms. Families, friends, and co-workers gather for o-hanami, which are picnics under the tree and enjoy the outdoors.
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I have been teaching in Mezzo 1, B, and C. Similar to last semester, the students really enjoy learning something new and memorizing vocabulary without any hesitation. I am amazed at how smoothly and quickly they absorb new topics and vocabularies. They have already learned their basic Japanese alphabets and vocabulary and started to practice writing Japanese characters (Hiragana)! Children are enthusiastic about Japanese books in class. I give them many chances to read silently and aloud as many books as possible. One of their favorite books is Daruma san, which is the name for a red roundish make a wish doll. I enjoyed reading books such as Gift from the Windows, The Gigantic Turnip, Who is Behind You, Circle and Triangle, and Crab vs. Monkey to them. VOL 35 NO. 5
Specialist News In the lower elementary class, we enjoyed making funny sentences by using picture cards. In Japanese grammar, verbs are always placed on the end of the sentence. For example, “I like you” in Japanese is said in this order: I (watashi) you (anata), like (suki). At first students were at a loss on how to say it, however, they became use to switching the order of words. We often used role‑playing. We
acted out situations where we went shopping with interactions between customers and store clerks. The children learned basic vocabulary such as how to say shopping items and key phrases. They learned about Japanese money and how to exchange Japanese yen from US dollars and calculated the amount of the fee when the customer spent it. It was a lot of work, but they enjoyed the challenge!
Music: Masterworks, Themes, Variations and Plays Mrs. Mary Springer I hope you all had a happy and peaceful holiday. We had a great time with the holiday sing-along. It is always a wonderful chance to get together and celebrate with song! The pre-elementary children have been studying masterworks and will continue this study for this month. We started with Spring from Antonio Vivaldi’s composition The Four Seasons. The students learned that Vivaldi was a “virtuoso” violinist and listened to the wonderful violin solo in the composition. We will continue that study with exploring the melodic and rhythmic structure of this wonderful masterwork. The children have also learned a folk dance called the Kindergarten Reel as well as songs about President Lincoln and President Washington in honor of President’s day. The students in the lower elementary classes have been exploring theme and variations. The students created their own variations to the song Scotland’s Burning. Using ideographs to create their composition, we were able to write and read their theme and variations as a class. After reading the scores, the students listened to Mozart’s Theme and Variations based on the song Twinkle Twinkle. This will lead to studying form in other masterworks. In honor of Black History Month, we read and studied the story behind the song Follow the Drinking Gourd. The book tells a remarkable story of how this song helped lead many slaves to freedom. The students in the upper level are busy preparing for our production of School House Rock Live, Jr. The roles
have been cast and we begin our rehearsals this week. I have never done this particular show before, but it is quickly becoming a favorite of the students and mine. This production is based on the wonderful and popular TV show in the 1970’s of the same name. You will soon be hearing songs about adjectives, nouns, and the special number three. We plan to “Unpack our Adjectives” and prepare a wonderful show for you. I believe these performing arts experiences are a valuable part of their education. Through the process of auditioning and preparing for a performance, they are able to work as a team in an artistic setting. I know you will enjoy their performance in March 27 and 28 at Lee Theater at Forest Ridge School. You will be getting more information in the next few weeks with details regarding the performances. The seventh and eighth grade students will soon begin preparing for our spring production. We will be preparing Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado about Nothing and we will be determining what era we will use as the connection to the story. We alternate our years for Shakespeare and contemporary comedies so the students experience the two genres. They have read the play in their language arts classes, which will help us in our preparation for our performance in May. The performance will be held at the Ivanhoe Theater and we are thrilled that those in charge of the theater will allow us to help with the technical aspects of the show. You will be receiving more information about this in the coming weeks.
Learning Resources: Learning Differences Ms. Diana Butler Four bright students, Jason, Jill, Jared and Jean are huddle over the map of the Roman Empire that they are drawing. Jason brought all the equipment his group needed for the project because his desk, locker and school supplies are organized and he can find things quickly. Nevertheless, Jason has trouble understanding instructions and planning how to get his work done. Jill remembers the instructions and can easily construct a plan for getting the work done. Nevertheless, when Jill tries to explain the plan to her group, her words MARCH 2013
get mixed up and the other kids have a hard time understanding her. Jared speaks easily and clearly so he can interpret the instructions aloud for his group. However, Jared does not understand facial expressions, has trouble making friends, and has frequent outbursts of frustration, which only make his isolation worse. Jean is sensitive, empathetic and has lots of friends. However, Jean is always losing things, cannot tell left from right, and cannot get places on time. ETON EDITION | 13
Specialist News All these children have learning differences that get in the way of their optimal functioning in the classroom. Learning differences, also known as learning disabilities, result from an anomaly in the brain structure, which causes differences in perceiving the world and in learning. People with learning disabilities are normal or above average in other ways such as intelligence, eye sight, hearing and emotional health. Learning differences can occur in many areas; the ones most commonly discussed are in reading and math, but there are actually many kinds. Children with learning differences need support, diagnosis, and intervention to
reach their full potential and avoid the pitfalls that go with untreated disabilities. For warning signs of learning disabilities in preschoolers, elementary students and high school students, go to: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED449633.pdf For tips for parents from a Harvard graduate student with learning disabilities go to: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/03/adviceto-students-and-parents-with-learning-disabilities.html
Greadings From the Library! Mrs. Dianna Labate
Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Dianna Labate, and I am the new librarian at Eton. While I have only been with your children for a short amount of time, I can honestly say that they have been curious, intelligent, and polite young people. It has been a joy spending time with them, and I look forward to personally getting to know each and every one. I have also had the pleasure of meeting many of the parents, and it is not hard to understand why the children are so pleasant. One of the best parts of being a librarian is making those personal connections with both the students and their families. I am a native Washingtonian and have lived in Duvall for the past fourteen years. I have a wonderful family, which consists of my husband Ray and three children. My son, Louie just graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, my daughter, Sophia, is a junior at Fort Lewis, and my youngest, Annabella, is a sophomore at Cedarcrest High school. My children have made my life rich and complete; children, in general, are a blessing. So, believe me when I say I know how very special your children are to you, and I realize what an extraordinary opportunity I have everyday when I enter the library and the smiling faces of your children greet me. My professional background consists of both public school and academic arena. Prior to coming to Eton, I was an elementary librarian at Stillwater Elementary in Carnation, Washington for eight years, and worked for
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the University of Washington libraries for four years. I attended the University of Washington for graduate school and received my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science in 2000. I love being a librarian, and I consider it an honor to connect both adults and children with information and books. My professional philosophy is to ensure that all the students are effective users of ideas and information, while maintaining a love of recreational reading. I believe that it is my role as the librarian to prepare students for the world of information by guiding them through this research process and ensuring that over time, they are able to feel confident as consumers and communicators of information. In addition, it is my passion to connect books to readers and readers to books. I fully believe in the power and beauty of the written word to inspire, enlighten, console, ignite imagination, and reveal unknown worlds and people. As a librarian, I expose my students to the craft of writing through reading aloud, sharing what we are reading with one another, and book talks. It is always my hope to connect children with books that will nurture their minds while becoming a small part of who they are long after the last page has been turned. It is my work to bring the endless sea of stories to your young readers so that in the words of one of my favorite authors, Roald Dahl, from one of my favorite novels, Matilda, “…her strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are never alone.”
VOL 35 NO. 5
From the Office
News and Information
Calendar
Tuition Payments for 2012-2013
Re-enrollment Documents
The twelfth and final tuition payment was due February 1, 2013. All accounts for the current year should be paid in full. If you have not made your final payment, please do so at your earliest convenience.
If you have not returned your Re-enrollment documents or the Declination of Re-enrollment, please do so at your earliest convenience. New this year is the Activity Fee, paid yearly prior to the start of the school year (by September 1). Cost is specific to each level. The Activity Fee covers school supplies, assemblies, non-overnight field trips and other activities (e.g., museum and park visits, class picnics), which were paid throughout the school year in the past. Also new this year is the Tuition Refund Plan designed to protect a family’s investment in their child’s education and the schools budgeted income. It is voluntary for Payment Plan 1 and mandatory for Payment Plans 2 or 3. The registration fee is also specific to each level. The Tuition Refund Plan is paid yearly prior to the start of the school year (by September 1). And finally, also new this year is Appendix-3 titled Notice of Intent to Cancel and to Withdraw. It should be submitted to the Business Office, Attention: Office Manager/ Registrar if you decide to terminate enrollment. If you have questions, please stop by the office; call Cherie Goetz at 425-881-4230, ext. 12 or Cindy Mattix at 425-881-4230, ext. 66 or e-mail cgoetz@etonschool.org or cmattix@etonschool.org. Either one will be happy to walk you through the process.
March 14 Parent Conferences
Tuition Payments for 2013-2014 The first tuition payment for Academic Year 2013-2014 was due on Thursday, March 7. It represented 1/12th of your total program fee. That payment (via check) is non‑refundable and was credited to the annual tuition fee. It guarantees your child’s space for next year. Agreements received after March 7 are subject to availability.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: March 14–15, 2013 There will be early dismissal on Thursday, March 14 and there will be no school on Friday, March 15 to accommodate the Spring ParentTeacher Conferences. Please schedule your session online. We value this face-to-face communication and encourage you to bring questions. The partnership between school and home is critical and we hope to gather insights and share discoveries about your child(ren).
Parent Handbook, Student Directory and Eton Edition These documents are available online in the password-protected Current Families section of Eton’s website. The Student Directory will be updated simultaneously with the upload of the newest Eton Edition. Please notify the office or e-mail info@etonschool.org with any changes of contact information to ensure continued correspondence with the school. MARCH 2013
Contact Change Notification Please be sure to notify the Main Office with any changes to your mailing address, telephone number, and/or e-mail address. We want to insure that you receive all of our correspondence.
Early Dismissal
March 15 Parent Conferences
School Closed/Clubhouse Open
March 18–22 Dining with Dads All Levels
March 27–28 Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grade Performance
7:00 pm Forest Ridge Lee Theater
April 05 Teacher Inservice Early Dismissal
April 08–12 Spring Break
School Closed/Clubhouse Open
April 18 Parent Council Meeting All Welcome 6:30 pm Main Building
April 19 Cosmic Fair
Lower Elementary
Printed Copies of the Eton Edition Did you know that you could request a paper copy of the Eton Edition? Contact Jackie Rauch (jrauch@etonschool.org) and indicate if you would like it mailed to your home or given to your student.
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Vol. 35 No. 5
March 2013
Save the Dates
ETON SCHOOL 2701 Bellevue-Redmond Road Bellevue, WA 98008-2253 425.881.4230 | www.etonschool.org
Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday, March 14 Friday, March 15
Dining with Dads
Monday, March 18 through Friday, March 22
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grade Performance
Wednesday, March 27 Thursday, March 28