Parent Handbook

PARENT HANDBOOK

4201 SW Borland Road Tualatin, Oregon 97062-6779

Phone: 503.638.6399 Fax: 503.638.6903

Revised 4/13 (Policies reviewed and revised annually in consultation.)

Arbor School follows the letter and spirit of all equal opportunity and civil rights laws.

Table of Contents ARBOR POLICIES ...... 1 Admissions...... 1 Advancement...... 1 Antidiscrimination Policy...... 1 Arrival...... 1 Attendance...... 1 Conduct and Behavior...... 1 Dismissal from Arbor...... 2 Diversity in Our Community...... 2 Emergency Preparedness...... 2 Field Trips...... 2 Head Lice...... 3 Hiring...... 3 Immunizations...... 3 Library...... 3 Media Privacy & Permissions Policy...... 4 Medical Emergencies...... 4 Medicines...... 5 Parent Separation...... 5 Parent Visitations...... 5 Photo Sharing & Identification...... 5 School Records...... 6 Transportation by a Faculty Member...... 6 Tuition and Fees...... 6 Vacations...... 6 Visitors...... 6 ARBOR PRACTICES ...... 6 Arbor Parents and Teachers (APT)...... 6 Birthdays...... 7 Celebrations...... 7 Carpools and Driving...... 7 Communication...... 8 Computers...... 8 Fire and Earthquake Drills...... 9 Friends of Arbor School Advisory Board (FOAS)...... 9 Hygiene...... 9 Illness...... 9 Illness or Injury at School...... 10 Lost and Found...... 10 Lunchdays...... 10 Lunches/Snacks...... 10 Parent Participation...... 10 Recess...... 11 Recycling...... 11 School Closures...... 11

School Hours...... 11 School Phones...... 11 Student Sponsored Fund Raising...... 12 Supplies and Change of Clothes...... 12 ARBOR STRATEGIES ...... 12 PHILOSOPHY OF THE SCHOOL ...... 12 THEMATIC OUTLINE ...... 13 PRIMARY (Kindergarten - 1st) ...... 13 PRIMARY YEAR 1 THEME: SEASONS AND CYCLES ...... 13 PRIMARY YEAR 2 THEME: JOURNEYS ...... 13 JUNIOR (2nd - 3rd) ...... 14 JUNIOR YEAR 1 THEME: CHANGE AND CONTINUITY ...... 14 JUNIOR YEAR 2 THEME: COMMUNITIES ...... 14 INTERMEDIATE (4th - 5th) ...... 14 INTERMEDIATE YEAR 1 THEME: ENVIRONMENTS ...... 14 INTERMEDIATE YEAR 2 THEME: INVENTIONS & DISCOVERIES ...... 15 SENIOR (6th - 7th - 8th) ...... 16 SENIOR HUMANITIES ...... 16 SENIOR SCIENCE ...... 17 SENIOR MATH ...... 17 SENIOR SPANISH ...... 18 SENIOR PROJECT ...... 18 MUSIC ...... 20 PHYSICAL EDUCATION ...... 20 ASSESSMENT ...... 21 CONFERENCES and REPORTS ...... 22 HOMEWORK ...... 22

ARBOR POLICIES

Admissions. The Arbor School of Arts and Sciences seeks students of diverse backgrounds, interests, and talents with potential for flourishing in and contributing to a creative and challenging learning community. Admission to the school depends upon appropriately mature intellectual, emotional, and social capacities. Arbor School seeks to realize its goals by admitting students who exhibit intellectual and creative potential and demonstrate a growing skill for working harmoniously with others. Admission is granted on the basis of the School’s evaluation of its ability to enhance the growth of the child and the child’s ability to enrich the school community, and a determination that the family’s educational philosophy is consistent with that of the School.

Priority in admissions is given to children of the head teaching staff and children with siblings in the school.

Advancement. Advancement from one class group to the next shall, like admission, be based on appropriately mature intellectual, emotional, and social capacities. In most instances this will mean that students will move forward with their age mates.

Antidiscrimination Policy. One of Arbor School’s guiding principles is that all members of the Arbor Community will treat each other with dignity, courtesy, and respect. Modeling these kinds of interactions is part of Arbor’s core educational mission. Likewise, honoring diversity and combatting discrimination and harassment based on race, gender, national origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic is also a fundamental value at Arbor School. Arbor School follows the letter and spirit of all equal opportunity and civil rights laws. Conduct or behaviors that are inconsistent with these basic principles should be brought to the Director’s attention or to the attention of the Director of Operations.

Arrival. Children are welcome to begin their school day any time after 8:00 a.m. when the classrooms are open. Students should arrive by 8:30 a.m. when classes formally begin.

Attendance. Parents should advise the School no later than 8:30 a.m. if a child is going to be late or will not be attending school that day. Late arrivals are difficult for the child as well as the rest of the class. Please make every effort to be punctual. Please try to avoid taking your child out of school for routine appointments. Should you need to schedule something during school time, we request the courtesy of prior notification.

Early departures and/or late returns from already generous winter and spring vacations make it hard to create a sense of closure and solidify new beginnings with individual students and the class as a whole. Please keep this in mind as you make your vacation plans. Should you contemplate taking your child out of school for a trip, please discuss the possibility well in advance with your child’s teacher and then notify the School in writing as early as possible when plans are final. Parents of Senior students are to request a Planned Absence Form from the Office at least a week in advance of a Senior’s planned absence so that there is time for the student to circulate the form among the Senior teachers. It is expected that work missed due to absence will be made up by the student with the assistance of the parents. Senior students who will miss all or part of a school day or event are to obtain a “Senior Planned Absence Contract” from the Office in advance of the absence.

Conduct and Behavior. Staff members of Arbor School shall treat one another and students and parents of the school with respect and courtesy. The safety of the students is a pre-eminent concern at all times. Careful supervision is, therefore, a necessity.

It is expected that a high standard for personal conduct with regard both to matters of courtesy and safety will be met by the students. Children at Arbor School are expected at all times to behave in ways that demonstrate respect for others and for the school environment as well as to behave in accordance with the School’s safety rules. Consideration for others and personal integrity are the values that lie at the base of these standards of conduct. Behavior that is detrimental to oneself, others, or to the environment is dealt with on an individual basis quickly, clearly, consistently, and carefully. All staff members take an instructional approach to dealing with unacceptable behaviors. Conflicts are viewed as opportunities to help students learn effective strategies for conflict resolution, self-management, and effective interpersonal communication. Teachers deal with issues in a timely, private manner that is both developmentally and individually appropriate. Should a student’s behavior exceed our ability to deal with it effectively, we will ask that student’s family to seek additional intervention from other sources.

Dismissal from Arbor. The School reserves the right to require the withdrawal of a student for reasons including, but not limited to, performance or behavior detrimental to other students or the school community.

Diversity in Our Community. As one parent put it, Arbor children are “expected to rise up to their highest and most heroic selves PLUS be around other kids who are being raised and called to do the same.”

Arbor School selects students not as representatives of legislatively identified groups but as young ones becoming themselves. Each one is allowed for and adjusted to in this evolving organism of personalities. Differences in our students are more than respected, they are engaged.

Among our students one finds individuals of varying intellectual capacities, personalities and temperaments, beliefs, and family backgrounds, but we don’t tabulate them by category. What does count is that our families share a commitment to an education that seeks to cultivate intellect, character, and creativity in each of their children. We hold that it is through productive work together and deepening world awareness that our students learn to live together harmoniously. At Arbor we strive to realize this through a well-integrated curriculum that immerses students into studies of a broad array of peoples, cultures, religions, and philosophies. It is one of our core beliefs that it is through living in common with those who are different from ourselves that the great human divides can be overcome. 6/20/2008

Emergency Preparedness. In the event of a natural disaster during which parents CANNOT pick up their children, the School will shelter the children. At the beginning of the year each child shall bring an Emergency Preparedness Kit to school for such a situation. Arbor shall maintain a supply of extra water, space blankets, etc. for such contingencies.

Field Trips. Field trips at Arbor School are designed to extend the classroom program. Parents will be informed in advance of any field trip. Trips will consist primarily of part-day or all-day excursions supervised by staff and parents, maintaining a minimum ratio of 1:8. A teacher must accompany all off-campus field trips. Children will travel by car, van, or school bus. Parents are responsible for seeing to it that the school has on file emergency information cards and parental permission slips for each field trip. First aid kits and emergency information cards will be taken on all trips. Overnight trips for children age nine and older will occur occasionally using either the school grounds or home or lodge accommodations. Packing lists enumerating required gear will be sent home prior to any such overnight stay. It is the obligation of the parent to see to it that the proper equipment is packed as outlined. When picking your student up from a field trip site other than school, please be certain you notify the teacher that the student is departing.

Field trips may include trips to noteworthy sites in and around the metropolitan area and excursions to differing natural environments for the purpose of observation and field study (i.e. beach, forest, etc.). Activities on field trips may include walking, hiking, biking and swimming (pool with lifeguard present). Activities on field trips will not include outward bound types of physical challenges; activities requiring overly specialized equipment; swimming outside supervised areas; climbing; or individual activities outside of a supervised group context.

Head Lice. Having head lice is no cause for consternation as lice are not uncommon in schools and having head lice is not related to fundamental issues of familial or school cleanliness. Children who have live lice, or nits that have not been treated, will be sent home for treatment and may return to school upon completion of that treatment. Once treated, parents are asked to continue to check and comb out nits daily. Children who return to school with numerous nits may be sent home for further nit-removal.

Hiring. Arbor School is an equal-opportunity employer.

A job description will be created for every position at Arbor School. Evaluation of job performance will be based on the salient job description.

It is unlikely that a parent of a child currently enrolled at Arbor School will be considered for a position at the school. In the event that an application is made by a parent whose credentials and/or experience are unusually noteworthy, an exception may be made.

Immunizations. State law requires that Arbor School keep immunization records on file for each student enrolled. State immunization requirements are revised year to year, so be sure to check with your child’s physician that your child is fully immunized. A tetanus booster is particularly advised. All kindergarten students are required to have two doses of Hepatitis A and one dose of varicella (or a history of chicken pox) to begin school, and all seventh grade students one dose of Tdap by February.

Library. “A school library should be as central to the educational objectives of the school as is the ideal library to civilization.” Richard Abel

The Arbor School Library collection is open to all students and the entire Arbor community. The Library serves as a classroom for seminar groups, story times, quiet reading, book selection, and reading support. It is designed to be a welcoming environment for use throughout the day to encourage Arbor students to become broad readers and strategic users of libraries. The Library plays a central role in the intellectual and communal life of the school. The librarian, with the assistance of volunteers, reviews and updates the organization of the collection in order to help students more easily locate materials.

Among its many goals Arbor School seeks to cultivate in its students a love of reading and the transferable skills, habits, and attitudes characteristic of: resourceful, lifetime learners; discerning and critical thinkers; empathic, self- educative readers; and ethical users of textual sources. It is our firm conviction that our Library is vital to the attainment of these goals by our students.

In addition to the Arbor Library, there is a professional library, the McKittrick Teacher Resource Collection, that supports Arbor teachers, parents, apprentices, and school leaders. This collection represents the best available sources in educational theory of the 20th century and in current teaching materials.

That we use the term library rather than media center points to our commitment to the primacy of the book in our collection. It is our view that a school library ought to serve as a repository of inspired literary works and as a center for access to knowledge. To that end fiction and non-fiction trade books, instead of encyclopedias or computer stations, form the core of the library holdings. We believe that our students are in need of encountering information not as discrete bits but as integral parts of coherent knowledge systems. As they mature, Arbor students increasingly find themselves turning to libraries and information sources outside of Arbor. We view this as a natural and needful step. Arbor students are, commensurate with their age, guided in their critical thinking as it relates to their choices in print and on-line materials, helping them to determine independently the worthiness and validity of said materials. For reasons having to do with its core values, the Arbor Library has chosen to invest only modestly in computer hardware and software that provides for access to the collection and for managing circulation and inventory. We have preferred to invest scarce resources in books and human capital.

Instructional materials are selected by Arbor School to implement, enrich, and support the educational program for the student. Materials are selected to serve both the breadth of the curriculum and the needs and interests of individual students. The collection provides for a wide range of abilities and reflects respect for diverse points of view. To this end, principles are placed above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality and appropriateness.

Fiction titles are selected on the basis of their literary merit and the likelihood that they will enhance the imaginative and reflective life of the students. Non-fiction titles are chosen on the basis of their accuracy and the coherence of their organization, analysis, structure, and synthesis. Picture books are chosen for their aesthetic qualities, literary merit, readability, and the likelihood that they will further the developing capacities of young readers.

The librarian and fellow head teachers are responsible for the selection of all materials, purchased or gifted. Staff members involved in selection of resource materials use the following criteria as a guide: educational significance; contribution the subject matter makes to the curriculum and to the interests of the students; favorable reviews found in standard selection sources; favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professional personnel; and reputation and significance of the author, producer, and/or publisher. Other criteria include the validity, currency, and appropriateness of material; what contribution the material makes to a breadth of representative viewpoints on controversial issues; high artistic quality and/or literary style; value(s) commensurate with cost and/or need; and the integrity of the material. Appropriate bibliographies and current reviewing media are consulted in the selection of materials.

In selecting learning resources, the faculty evaluates available resources and curriculum needs and consults reputable, professional aids. The actual resource is examined whenever possible. Recommendations for purchase involve administrators, teachers, students, and parents as appropriate. Gift materials are judged by the criteria outlined and are accepted or rejected by those criteria. Selection is an ongoing process that includes the removal of materials no longer appropriate and the replacement of lost and worn materials still of educational value.

With regard to controversial materials Arbor School addresses itself to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” We agree with the principle as stated by Justice Brennan in Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico, that “boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.” Arbor School is a place where intellectual freedom is highly regarded and also a place where developmental appropriateness is carefully considered. Its Library mirrors those values. 12/17/03

Media Privacy & Permissions Policy. By sharing your media (including, but not limited to, artifacts, photos, videos, and/or text) with Arbor School, you give us a right to share or represent this work to others and use these media for publicity purposes, either digitally or in printed form. This right shall be perpetual until and unless explicitly revoked by either the person(s) submitting such media, or the person(s) represented in such media.

Medical Emergencies. Each child must have a current and completed Emergency Procedure Card on file at the school. This card authorizes Arbor School to act in case of emergency, in accordance with the parents’ wishes. The card lists names and phone numbers for parents, doctors, and designated alternates for parents, all of which are vital information in case of emergency. Absence of an Emergency Procedure Card on file precludes children’s attendance at school. In addition, parents are required to file an information card on seat belts, car make, and insurance coverage prior to offering their car for use in transporting students other than their own children. PLEASE NOTIFY US OF CHANGES IN PHONE NUMBERS OR YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH CARE REQUIREMENTS.

Medicines. The parent must bring medication, whether prescription or nonprescription, to and from school. Prescription medication brought to school must always remain in the original container from the pharmacy or physician’s office. Nonprescription medication must be brought to school in its original container or packaging.

Arbor School personnel will not administer prescribed medication but will assist in reminding students at appropriate dispensation times. In order to dispense prescription medication over the long term (the school year) to students, the child’s Health History form must include signed permission and instruction from the parent, including the name of the medication, route, dosage, time, and duration of dispensation, as well as any further instruction. It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the School in writing if any changes are made in medication instructions. The parent must also note on the child’s Health History form any medications regularly taken at home.

Prescription medication and nonprescription (non-alcohol based) medication necessary to be taken over the short term by the student at school for the student to remain in school must be accompanied by a completed and signed Acute Illness Self-Medication Approval form, including the name of the medication, route, dosage, time, and duration of dispensation, as well as any further instruction. It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the School in writing of any change in medication instruction

In order for Arbor School personnel to administer nonprescription medicine for the purpose of relieving acute and minor pain (except for that brought to the school by the child’s parents), parental verbal permission must first be obtained prior to each and every administration of such medication. Parents should indicate on the child’s Health History form the appropriate dosage for medication to relieve minor pain. Senior students with chronic pain may, with parental permission, be allowed to carry their own medication so long as the medication is in a small (travel) sized, original container and the student agrees not to share that medication with any other student.

Parent Separation. In the event of legal separation or divorce of parents, Arbor School must receive a copy of any court orders with respect to the rights of the parents that involve the child’s presence at Arbor, e.g. financial and visitation arrangements. In order that Arbor School remain a neutral ground for the child, Arbor will not allow itself to be the scene for confrontation or quarrels between parents over such arrangements.

Parent Visitations. We welcome parents as visitors and participants in the classrooms after the first parent conference. Please schedule your visit with your child’s teacher.

Photo Sharing & Identification. The School periodically takes photos of staff and students at times of learning and play for use in Arbor publications and on its websites. There may also be opportunities for the media or other external organizations to be on campus. Many parents enjoy seeing their children’s pictures in newspapers, on television, or in school publications. However, we respect the wishes of parents who do not want their children identified in photographs. As a matter of policy, we do not identify photos of current students by name on the public portions of Arbor websites.

At the beginning of each school year, parents will be asked to complete a Photo Sharing & Identification Form to specify whether or not their child’s photo image may be identified by name in an Arbor publication, in print, or online (e.g. classroom newsletters, “Friday Footnotes,” Cambium). If identified, our protocol will be to use a student’s first name and last initial. Parents will also be asked whether or not their child’s photo image may be identified by name in the news media.

Arbor is unable to promise that a student’s unnamed photo will not be shared in Arbor publications, internal or external. For example, an unidentified photo of a student or students may appear in Arbor publications; unidentified students in a school production may be video recorded.

At times, classrooms may be video recorded for faculty training and development purposes. No students will be identified by name on such video recordings. These recordings will not be duplicated or distributed in any way without Arbor’s first obtaining active parental consent through an additional permissions form specific to the video.

Additionally, the administration and teachers may wish to share photos of school and classroom events. In this instance, photos may be shared by the administration and teachers as long as (a) the photos contain no reference to names (first or last) and (b) photos are only shared internally and not with anyone outside the Arbor community. (This includes posting the photos to a non-secure web link to which people outside the Arbor community might gain access.) Parents are asked to follow these protocols as well.

Parents are advised that, while their completion of the Photo Sharing & Identification Form may direct us to make an extra effort to see that their child is not identified in the news media or in school publications, whether in print or online, not all situations can be controlled and the School cannot guarantee that a child will not be identified in news media reports or on Internet documents. In the absence of a Photo Sharing and Identification Form for a specific child, the School will assume said child’s parents have no objections to their child’s photo image being identified as specified above.

School Records. A permanent file of each student’s reports and relevant administrative paperwork is kept in the Office. You may review your child’s record at any time by requesting it from the Administrative Assistant. Arbor will maintain a file of student records for a period of eight years for graduates and four years for non-graduates following a child’s tenure at Arbor. They will be dispensed with thereafter.

Transportation by a Faculty Member. Faculty members will ONLY be allowed to transport children in their cars if agreed to by the parent as per the pick- up form or signed permission slip. In the event of an unforeseen trip, parents will be contacted by phone for verbal permission for the child to be driven by a faculty member.

Tuition and Fees. Tuition is due and payable as per the enrollment agreement. Tuition includes field trips and textbook fees.

Vacations. Early departures and/or late returns from already generous vacations are hard for students, teachers, and the classroom community. Please keep this in mind as you make your vacation plans. (see Attendance)

Visitors. All visitors are to report to the Office and receive a nametag. Please advise the School in advance should relatives or friends be arriving, in your absence, to visit your child at school.

ARBOR PRACTICES

Arbor Parents and Teachers (APT). Every faculty member and anyone with a child enrolled at Arbor is a member of the Arbor Parent Teacher Association (APT). APT exists to support the vision of Arbor School, providing opportunities for each parent and faculty member to be involved in building community, enhancing curriculum, and supporting students, teachers, the Director, and the School.

The committees and events sponsored by APT work toward this objective by: o facilitating orientation for new families; o coordinating special events and parent volunteers; o assisting in fundraising events; o allocating funds toward projects that enhance the Arbor community; o dedicating funds to augment our financial aid fund; o responding to staff requests for materials and services; o providing assistance and/or leadership as needed.

All members of the Arbor community are encouraged to participate in APT. Board meetings are open to all. If you wish to join one of the committees, simply contact the committee chair or the Board president. Members are also encouraged to submit grant proposals to the Board (forms are available in the Office and on the community website). APT involvement provides opportunities to learn more about Arbor, meet other families, and contribute expertise to the School. Most roles require very little time.

Birthdays. Birthdays are a special time and children are welcome to celebrate with a treat at lunch time with the whole class. In order to ensure that birthdays are a happy time for everyone, we expect that invitations to parties will be mailed and not distributed in class unless all members of the class are invited. Furthermore, children are not to leave directly from Arbor School to go to a party, nor to bring party accoutrements to school (presents, sleeping bags, etc.) unless all members of the class are included.

We have a tradition at Arbor School in which children give the Library a gift of a book on their birthdays. The child’s name and birthday are inscribed in the book, and the book is displayed in the Library. A wish list of titles needed is available in the Library at all times.

Celebrations. Holidays are an important part of a child’s life. Classroom projects and discussions will reflect the variety of traditions we find within our school community and throughout the world.

Carpools and Driving. At the end of each school year, a Google map showing Arbor family locations is made available to facilitate the arrangement of efficient transportation via carpool. Carpooling is a way of life at Arbor School. If you require additional assistance in finding families to carpool with in your area, please call the School. Each family should understand the importance of an efficient carpool in assuring a smooth start and finish to your child’s day, and your own. For some, the shared driving is the only way it is possible to be at Arbor.

As an alternative to carpooling, a group of parents have contracted with ecoShuttle to provide bus service to and from Arbor each morning and afternoon of the school year. For more information, contact the Office for the current parent ecoShuttle liaison.

In order to assure student safety, Arbor requires parents to provide a list of people who MAY pick up a child. In the event someone other than those named previously on the pick-up form is to pick a student up, prior written/faxed/emailed notification by a parent is REQUIRED. Arriving and departing from Arbor at the peak hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. require care and consideration from everyone. Please keep these routines in mind at ALL times when driving on the campus. We urge you when coming to school to turn on your turn indicators and to slow down using your brakes well before reaching the entrance so that following cars can see your intentions. Please be certain that you have allowed a safe distance from oncoming vehicles traveling east or west on Borland before turning into Arbor’s drive. It is imperative that at all times you DRIVE SLOWLY and CAREFULLY when arriving and departing campus. STOP signs are to be obeyed absolutely. Also, no cell phone use while driving on campus—we need your full attention paid to the safety of all here.

Arrival at school between 8:00am and 8:25am is essential (the starting time of formal classes for all students is 8:30am). Please do your part as a member of a carpool to ensure the students’ timely arrival.

If you are parking, please be responsive to the “No Parking” and “Time-of-Parking” signs. They are designed to make it possible for the general flow of traffic to move smoothly at peak hours. We ask you not to park in front of the main building between the hours of 8:15—8:30 a.m. nor between 2:30—3:15 p.m. In the interests of safe and efficient movement of traffic on campus, anyone wishing to linger is urged to arrive before 8:15 a.m. or after 3:15 p.m. when parking is possible. Park courteously and close together so we may accommodate the maximum number of cars. Back out slowly and with extreme caution.

At other times of the day parking is available around the inner and outer edges of the traffic circle and along the outgoing lane on the driveway. There are two spaces reserved for volunteer parking in the drive facing the Primary Den room. Please park in the outer/rear two spaces (the inner/forward spaces are for staff). Volunteers may also park under the apple tree south of the Jeep, facing the main building or in our grassy lot at our back entrance off Halcyon Road.

Children are to enter the parking area ONLY for the purpose of getting in or out of vehicles. Students may be dropped off along the southern face of the Stables. All students exiting cars parked facing in along the west side of the drive are to proceed directly to the path. Students may NOT walk behind cars. Students younger than Seniors may not cross between the inner island and the paths without adult assistance. At the busiest hours, staff members will be available to assist so that you can remain in your car.

To ensure a smooth afternoon carpooling process, all lanes into Arbor must be clear and open. Please maintain two lines of traffic, one on the outside of the traffic circle and one on the inside, leaving a center lane free for departing cars. This will allow cars that are ready to do so to move into the center lane and depart. We ask you to stay in your car and always move as far forward as possible (past the drive to the Primary Den), leaving no openings, even though this may mean you must wait for the car ahead of you to pull out before you can go. This allows an optimal number of vehicles around the circle and prevents traffic from getting stacked up at our entrance.

At day’s end we will deliver your child (and carpool members) to your car (children younger than Seniors may enter the line of traffic around the circle only when accompanied by an adult). Once carpools are loaded, it is helpful for drivers to inquire if all backpacks, jackets, lunch boxes, folders, and homework materials are in hand before departing campus.

We recognize that our decision to devote as little space as possible to the automobile on campus can be individually inconvenient upon occasion. We ask for your patience in those moments, remembering that safety is the basis for our practices.

Communication. We value open, direct, and constructive communication from the school community. If you have any questions and concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We encourage parents to ask questions about matters before they become major issues. Classroom concerns should be dealt with through the teacher. If you have broader concerns regarding school issues, please discuss them with the Director.

The HOME-SCHOOL FOLDER is a crucial part of the Primary, Junior, and Intermediate communication process. Please be sure YOU get the contents of the folder each afternoon/evening and that your child has it as s/he leaves in the morning. We ask the students to be the vehicle for the folder and that parents be responsible for the transfer of contents. Please expect that the LAST SCHOOL DAY OF THE WEEK will generally be the day messages are sent home.

Computers. A question frequently asked by prospective parents is how computers are used in the classroom at Arbor. The question often carries cultural assumptions and preferences about the use of technology in the classroom as a means of improving learning and honing students’ edge in a global marketplace. Arbor’s decision to allocate only modest resources to classroom computers rests on pedagogical principles, the most fundamental being that students learn first and best with hands-on, minds-on experience. Too often computers replace that first-hand, concrete experience with a virtual environment. They do offer exciting capabilities and have been used to potent effect by Seniors for Graduation Projects in such areas as robotics and film animation. But we favor curricula that require kinesthetic as well as intellectual engagement, and time spent outdoors drawing on the natural assets of our campus – stream, woods, gardens – over time in a computer lab.

The Internet offers unprecedented access to information, opinion, and people. This broad spectrum is both its greatest asset and its greatest drawback. The web offers vibrant and diverse primary and secondary sources for research, but much of this information has not been thoroughly vetted by experts for accuracy. We believe that forming a good question is an essential and professional first step in the lifelong research process, and reliance on

Google searches stunts this habit. And although many scholarly journals and public-domain books are now available online, valuable information more often comes in a predigested form that robs children of the chance to construct their own understandings. Many of our students use computers at home and bring to school news and ideas gleaned online; it is our role as educators to encourage their curiosity and desire to explore their world and to help them make sense of what they discover. Considering Internet sources is a natural part of teaching children how to search for information, evaluate its credibility and validity, and synthesize the material into original work. And worthy websites do earn places in the Arbor pedagogical toolboxes. Our Primary teachers draw inspiration from Journey North during studies of whale migrations; the Junior teachers download authentic price lists of supplies for the Oregon Trail journey; the Seniors have used online, real-time surf reports from the Oregon coast to make predictions about wave motion in physics lessons. But our belief that there can be no virtual substitute for hands-in-the-clay, boots-in-the-creek, eye-to-the-telescope personal experience is fundamental.

Arbor has made investments in computers and software for the Library and Office, as well as for the ACT. A campus-wide wireless network supports teachers’ use of their own machines, and the Library computers are available to students for special projects, such as the collaborative writing of the script for the Seedfolks theatrical production in 2007-08. Parents, friends, APT, and corporations have donated much of this technology, allowing Arbor to provide computing resources inexpensively while avoiding the environmental costs of new machines. In addition, twenty AlphaSmart keyboards have been purchased with APT funds to scaffold students’ composition of papers with word processing. These uses of technology align with our belief that computers can serve as additional tools to aid the children in acquiring basic skills and understanding. But we also believe that by encouraging our students to be active and resourceful thinkers and intellectual explorers, we are preparing them to achieve competence in the digital world outside of school, and that it is essential to provide time for learning and development away from the screens that have become ubiquitous in our society.

New possibilities flower constantly in the realm of technology; we will remain sensitive to them and receptive to – and critical of – any development that promises to further our students’ understanding and success. 10/13/2010

Fire and Earthquake Drills. Fire drills will be held regularly at Arbor School in accordance with fire marshal regulations. Students will learn how to exit quickly and safely from school buildings. In addition, students will practice what to do in the event of an earthquake.

Friends of Arbor School Advisory Board (FOAS). Arbor’s Advisory Board provides the School with advice and counsel. At quarterly meetings the members (rotating Head Faculty, past parents, area educators, alumni, business people, a doctor, a lawyer, and committed professionals from a variety of disciplines) offer their wit and wisdom in considering policy matters, thorny problems, and long- range planning. While having no fiduciary nor fund-raising responsibilities, they are truly valued for their thoughtful consideration of crucial matters in the life of the school.

Hygiene. An effort is made to help children practice the fundamental routines of hygiene, particularly hand washing. Consistent attention to hand washing after toileting, after playing outside, and prior to eating is stressed.

Illness. Please keep your child home from school if s/he is sick or needs to suppress symptoms in order to participate in the program. Sending a child to school when s/he does not seem well is stressful for the child, detracts from the classroom program, and may expose others unnecessarily.

In the event that one of our students contracts some form of highly contagious illness, e.g. chicken pox, the School will alert the parents in the appropriate class, carpool, etc. Health-related decisions are made in consultation with school doctors and the Clackamas County Health Department.

Illness or Injury at School. If children become ill at school, we will make them comfortable and call their parents to make arrangements for them to be taken home. There are places where children may lie down when they do not feel well. First aid equipment is located in each classroom as well as in the Office.

Lost and Found. Labeling solves the worst of the lost and found problems: labeled items are easily returned to students. Please ensure your child’s name is written on the labels of all jackets and sweaters, lunch boxes, etc. Lost and found items are collected in the Office and are laid out routinely for claiming by children. Unclaimed, unlabeled items are periodically donated to charity. All found money is donated to the Annie Ross House at the end of the school year.

Lunchdays. Lunchdays offer our students a special lunch while raising money for the School. Students who would like to sign up for Lunchdays must return the necessary paperwork by the due date specified. Lunchdays are sponsored by APT and administrated by a parent volunteer.

Lunches/Snacks. Each child brings lunch and morning snack. (Children who stay after school should also bring an afternoon snack.) Please send your child with the utensils and service pieces required for the food sent. Refrigerators and microwave ovens are available. We do not allow gum at school and discourage candy and sodas.

Parent Participation. As children’s primary teachers, parents are inextricably bound up in education. The child who arrives at Arbor filled with wonder, a sense of excitement about life, a willingness to wait his turn, a genuine caring for a sad classmate, and the ability to express ideas and feelings has been gifted by the parent, who share him/her with school.

It is an acknowledgement of the incredible power that parents have when schools seek their help not just with governance and at evening meetings but during the day as part of the rough and tumble that goes into the growing of future citizens. We invite parents to participate in the educational process and in the life of the school. Needless to say, supporting the work of the classroom is the most crucial. We appreciate volunteer help in the classroom in a variety of ways. Each teacher will meet with interested parents early in the course of the year to set out opportunities for such involvement and provide training as necessary. “Come in and help me grow them, please,” is rarely met with disinterest. “We are in this business together” is what that says, “it is hard work and you who know them in a way we don’t can share your insights with us, and we who don’t know you as well as we know them can gain insights into how you have achieved your successes.” Who would turn down such an opportunity?

Parents help in less tangible but equally important ways when they communicate to their children their trust in the teachers to be working in the best interests of the child, when they mirror the behavioral expectations the School holds for the child, and when appropriate provision is made for work needing to be done at home.

A willingness on the part of the School to acknowledge the tremendous job done by the parents might lend to a lessening of the atrophying that seems to occur, over succeeding years, of the parents’ sense of their absolute importance in the life of their child. Children become the adults that are essential for a democracy to thrive, when both home and school are working in tandem. Adults of character using their intellects creatively can only emerge when the institutions, in society, that see that as their mission function in concert. Home, school, and child form a three-legged stool. It is stable when the home/school legs are supporting and encouraging and creating clear structures that advance the child’s obvious efforts by way of self-mastery. The more support the child has in his/her journey toward maturity, the better.

Parents help their children by using failures as growth opportunities and by capitalizing on successes. Parents help their children by not fearing to oppose bad choices and by refraining from defending the student when s/he is in the wrong. The parent/teacher partnership on behalf of the child is optimized when all parties are considerate and respectful in their relationships with one another.

Arbor is blessed with talented, busy, and generous parents. When in September we stand at the starting line of the year, with off in the distance the finishing post and students lined up ready to grow, we know that, on the sidelines, cheering when necessary, coaching when necessary, are the parents who will make arriving at that post the richer for their participation. Arbor actively seeks and cherishes its parent body’s participation.

Recess. At each recess staff members are on duty on the playground and in the Arena. We expect the children to play with one another inclusively and in safe ways. Inconsiderate or unsafe play will not be tolerated. Play with dangerous objects has no place at Arbor; their presence at school is forbidden.

A variety of equipment appropriate for indoor and outdoor play is provided for the children. Recess staff members will involve students in bringing out the equipment that may be used for the recess and in putting the equipment away. The bell will sound to signal that it is time to close recess. No one may leave a game area until all equipment is gathered and put away.

Clear play area boundaries are established at the beginning of the year. The Library is open at all recess times. The woods and creeks are off limits at recess time. Teacher-led class projects in the woods are the only exception to this rule. At ALL times, the turn-around and driveway, the shed and east side of the Arena, the P & D Nursery bedding borders, and the driveway to the Loghouse are OFF LIMITS.

During recess, safety is paramount. In the Arena, good weather or bad, there will be no use of bats, no kicking of balls, and no games of chase. The walls are NOT to be used as a backboard for games. Outdoors there is to be NO slide tackling allowed on the field and NO TACKLE football PERIOD!

Recycling. At Arbor School a conscious daily effort is made to adhere to environmentally sound practices. We try to utilize materials that can be re-used and encourage you to do the same. We ask that all the children have the following LABELED items: reusable lunch bag, reusable food and drink containers, and a class cup or water bottle. We have compost bins for each building so that vegetable scraps can be added to the compost piles that enrich Arbor gardens. We recycle all glass, tin, aluminum, cardboard, scrap paper, plastic, and juice boxes. Students from all classes help keep our recycling efforts going.

School Closures. The safety of Arbor School students is our primary concern in dangerous weather conditions. If, in our opinion, it would be unsafe for the majority of our students to traverse the roads to and from school, we will close the school. Information about school closures can generally be found on local TV and radio stations and their accompanying websites, including KATU, KOIN, KGW, and KOPB, as well as online at www.flashalert.net. (The media stations usually begin broadcasting such information after 6:00 a.m. and update every 15 minutes.) A telephone tree will be established for each classroom so that every family may be notified in the a.m. in the event of a school closure.

In the event that a storm develops during the school day and it appears that travel conditions will deteriorate, children will be sent home early. Parents will be notified by phone according to students’ emergency procedures cards under these unusual conditions. Media stations will not necessarily carry news of early dismissal. It is the responsibility of the parent to see to it that a child is picked up in a timely manner in such circumstance.

School Hours. Office hours: 8:00 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Monday — Friday School hours K—8: 8:30 a.m. — 3:00 p.m. (Classrooms open at 8:00 a.m.)

School Phones. Phones are available in every classroom for the use of staff members. Children may use the phone only when given permission by their teachers. We interrupt staff and students in class ONLY for urgent messages. (Calls about social arrangements are NOT amongst the permitted reasons for student use of the phones.) Students may not employ cell phones while on school premises.

Student Sponsored Fund Raising. Upon occasion students sponsor staff-approved fund raising events for Annie Ross, disaster relief, or a special project. At these times students may wish to bring money to school. (Students may take orders for fund-raising events sponsored by organizations outside Arbor only with prior, express permission of the Director.)

Supplies and Change of Clothes. Each classroom teacher will distribute an appropriate supply list for his/her class. Throughout the year requests for various usual and unusual items may be made. One request that we make in all K—5 classrooms is that each child keep a change of clothes at school. Outdoor projects abound year-round, and it is helpful to have a pair of dry pants or socks or a warm sweatshirt on hand when needed. A change of footwear (boots or shoes) is also an important part of the ensemble. (Don’t forget to mark your child’s name clearly on ALL garments.)

ARBOR STRATEGIES

PHILOSOPHY OF THE SCHOOL

Arbor School of Arts & Sciences is a small learning community founded on the premise that education is decisive and enduring to the degree that it supports the development of intellect, character, and creativity.

The Arbor School of Arts & Sciences takes as its goals to:

• Encourage individual talents so that each may become an imaginative, independent thinker with a strong sense of self-worth • Promote learning as an integrated, interdisciplinary process rather than as a series of isolated subjects • Provide an environment where responsibility and sensitivity to the group are balanced by respect for the autonomy and integrity of the individual • Create a climate of mutual regard, trust, and self-discipline • Help students acquire the tools of inquiry and expression through the study of important ideas, so that each may construct a personally meaningful understanding of the world.

Intellect Character Creativity

Our fundamental goal at Arbor By creating an atmosphere that At Arbor School we value School is to engage children’s values and celebrates individual creativity and recognize its minds actively within the and cultural diversity, the Arbor many forms, whether it is context of a supportive, School provides a seedbed for conveyed through artistic stimulating environment. We each student to develop a strong expression, practical ingenuity, teach academic skills and sense of self-worth and or the synthesis of ideas. content as interrelated sensitivity to others. We support disciplines rather than as children’s emerging capacities At Arbor School we provide a fragmented lessons. for positive social action: climate of trust that fosters cooperation, empathy, and creative thought and expression. Thus, basic skills are learned in responsibility. Our goals for Students experience a rich a meaningful context and character development are based variety of media and tools and become a means for on the child’s growing sense of solve problems ranging from the understanding the world, not self, understanding of individual clearly defined to the open- ends in themselves. Our goals others, and participation in the ended. for cultivating intellect community. encompass three areas: To encourage creativity, we academic skills, knowledge, and focus on the attitudes that foster the tools for thinking. creativity, the design process, and the creative expression that results. Curr/midyrrpt.d

THEMATIC OUTLINE

This outline provides a brief overview of the Themes that serve as context for Arbor School’s hallmark interdisciplinary work. Because children remain with one teacher for more than one year of schooling, each class has developed multi-year curricular cycles. Within these cycles, specific activities and emphases vary from year to year as teachers design new ways to engage children’s participation. At every level, the Arbor curriculum encourages children to explore, create, and communicate in a variety of ways: drawing, painting, building models; speaking, dramatizing, writing, and reading; graphing, charting, calculating, and hypothesizing.

PRIMARY (Kindergarten - 1st)

PRIMARY YEAR 1 THEME: SEASONS AND CYCLES

The Primary-aged child is a natural observer and investigator of the world around her. She is beginning to notice the patterns and cycles that order her environment. Her inquisitive nature inspires her to open a pea pod and count the seeds or hunt for caterpillars and imagine its life as a butterfly. As her world unfolds, she learns that there is predictability and order that can be anticipated and counted on—autumn comes after summer, crocus bulbs bloom in the spring, chickens hatch from eggs. Our study of seasons and cycles serves to nourish this natural curiosity of the Primary-aged child by providing rich material to illuminate her natural explorations. The curriculum provides ample hands-on opportunities to question, experiment, explore and observe the natural world.

Fall topics: Plants on our Plate: The Plant Cycle Winter topics: What Makes Us Human? Seeds, Roots and Shoots Houses Around the World Flowers and Fruits Human Body Systems Decomposition Winter Solstice Seasonal Change Animals preparing for Winter

Spring topics: What Comes First: Critter cycles Frogs, Butterflies and Chickens Independent Projects

PRIMARY YEAR 2 THEME: JOURNEYS

Young children live in the moment, and the study of Journeys inspires the Primaries to explore a place and time other than the here and now. We learn about the amazing journeys of both humans and animals, nurturing a sense of wonder for natural and historical feats. Our studies include journeys of the imagination as well as factual historical journeys, with compelling narratives driving the curriculum as we learn the personal stories of Mayflower passengers and the trials of Odysseus.

Fall Topics: Sink and Float Winter Topics: Migrating Animals Boats Whales Imaginary Journey The Journey of the Mayflower

Spring Topics: Greek Mythology The Journey of Odysseus Independent Projects The History of Arbor

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JUNIOR (2nd - 3rd)

JUNIOR YEAR 1 THEME: CHANGE AND CONTINUITY

The members of the Junior class explore the concept of change and continuity through the study of the Earth’s geologic history, its weather systems, and the development of the measurement of time. Students learn about the minerals, rocks and soil that make up the Earth and apply that understanding to a study of how the face of the Earth has changed over time. This later study focuses primarily on the geologic forces at work on the topography of the Pacific Northwest, Tualatin, and the Arbor campus. Students also investigate what makes the weather, what causes the atmospheric changes that we experience, and how we can learn to predict those changes. As with the study of the Earth’s composition, the weather unit has a regional and local focus. Finally, students explore the concept of time by learning about and constructing clocks and calendars.

Topics: Geologic History, the Rock Cycle, Earth Science Weather: Clouds, the Water Cycle, Wind, Temperature, Storms Time: Clocks and Calendars

JUNIOR YEAR 2 THEME: COMMUNITIES

The children’s sense of place, time, and the development of community flow through cultural and geographic channels as the Juniors study North America, with a particular focus on the Northwest. This study begins with a look at the emergence of the continent that is now North America and at the ancient animals which inhabited it. Students learn about the first Americans’ migration which peopled the continent and the development of distinct Native American cultures. The children then study the arrival of Europeans, westward expansion, and the settlement of the Northwest. Students delve into the history of Portland and explore concepts of engineering through a close look at the city’s bridges.

Topics: North American Physical Geography & Paleontology First Americans, First Oregonians, Migration Colonization, Lewis and Clark, the Oregon Trail Early settlement of Portland Portland Bridges 9.16.13

INTERMEDIATE (4th - 5th)

INTERMEDIATE YEAR 1 THEME: ENVIRONMENTS

Environments— local and far-flung, external and internal— are the Intermediates’ focus this year. Students delve into the complex characteristics of various ecosystems and the plant and animal life that each region supports. They embark on this process by studying the local environment in detail, cataloguing the plant life of the Arbor woods and other habitats and presenting the work in scientific plant posters and field guides. Experiments in botany predominate in the classroom. Children practice mathematical skills and concepts necessary for measuring directly and indirectly and for drawing to scales larger and smaller than actual size. The scale work also manifests in a variety of maps, and students consider the problem of accurately portraying three-dimensional shapes with pen and paper as they study various world map projections.

The Intermediates then embark on a study of plant life cycles and habitats, focusing on flowering plants and photosynthesis and the adaptive behaviors of animals. As cartographers of a different sort, they visually represent the interrelationships of geology, climate, and life forms. Their habitat studies also emphasize collaboration, life drawing, and research skills.

Mid-winter finds the Intermediates discovering more about their own internal systems as they study the human mind and body, creating personal change capsules in the process. From self-evaluative writing and mapping to portraiture, from reading biographies to looking at the human imprint on the environment, from investigating how

the mind works to devising a model of one of the body systems, the students are engaged in both inquiry and expression. The use of microscopes to investigate structures at the cellular level builds an important skill for further scientific study. Also, through the study of Independent Projects, students develop a creative understanding of a topic of their own choosing.

Students return to mapping in the spring as they explore world biomes and the geographical features that create them. Finally they leave the land behind and immerse themselves in oceanography, exploring the vast richness of marine life and its cycles and predictable patterns. A large-scale collaborative project fuses their understanding of the primary ecological niches in and near the sea with studies of their local Northwest shores and waters.

Topics: Plant Experimentation, Botanical Drawing Ecological Niche, Habitat, Adaptation Cycles: Water, Photosynthetic, Food Chain Measurement, Graphing, Scale Ecosystems, Biomes, Climatic Regions The Human Body Scientific Classification of the Biological World Oceanography Observational Writing World Folktales Independent Projects 9.16.13

INTERMEDIATE YEAR 2 THEME: INVENTIONS & DISCOVERIES

This year the Intermediates consider the ways in which people’s ideas about the world have changed. We examine both conceptual and technical discoveries, from the invention of writing to the first printing press, from the Odyssey to the Arthurian legends, from the first use of the zero to the development of algebra, from the discovery of the principle of the arch to the innovation of the flying buttress. Student-drawn maps chronicle the currents of major intellectual developments as they spread through the Western world. Throughout the year we return to the study of astronomy, seeing the world as the ancients saw it, following Galileo in his courageous attempt to disseminate a new understanding of the solar system, and pointing our own telescopes to the night sky. As the Intermediates use ancient number systems during math and even write, type-set, print, and bind a collaborative book, together they imagine themselves through a vast sweep of recorded history.

Topics: The Ancient Western World (Sumer, Egypt, Greece, Rome) Early Developments in Writing, Counting Systems, and Astronomy Mythology, Epic Poetry Ancient Achievements Density, Mass, and Volume The Middle Ages in Europe The Rise of Islam The Three Estates of Medieval Society Arthurian Legends and Historical Fiction Tessellations and Stained Glass Simple Machines and Fundamental Mechanical Principles The Renaissance in Europe Brahe, Copernicus, Galileo The Mathematics of Science The Printing Press Portraiture Optics Mapping Biography

SENIOR (6th - 7th - 8th)

SENIOR HUMANITIES PEOPLES OF THE WORLD: YEAR 1 THEME: SOUTH ASIA, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, CHINA YEAR 2 THEME: THE AMERICAS YEAR 3 THEME: EURASIA

Our three-year program in Humanities seeks to help students discover the myriad ways in which all people are similar and to celebrate the ways in which we are different. We do this by examining each major area of the world through six lenses: geographic, historic, religious, cultural, social, and economic.

The study of the geography of a region provides us with a basis for understanding how the inhabitants interact with their physical surroundings. It also helps the students develop an awareness of place and of how proximity to or isolation from other civilizations shapes cultures, ideas, and economies.

In history we seek to nourish a sense of empathy for people and their actions in the past and present, to understand the reasons for continuity and change, to recognize the interrelatedness of geography, economics, culture, religion, and political systems. We strive to help students gain an understanding of the lives lived by all people, not just kings and generals.

We recognize the importance of religion in all human societies and its influence on history, and we seek ways to appreciate that all societies have ideals and standards of behavior and to understand that people’s ideas affect their actions. We also work toward familiarity with the basic ideas and ethical traditions of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and animistic religions.

We work to understand the concept of culture and how it is transmitted. Our goal is to develop an appreciation for the rich complexities and differences of human cultures. We want the students to understand the special role of the arts in reflecting the inner life of a people and in projecting an image of that people to the world. Studying myths of origin, legends, and stories of heroes and heroines completes our work in culture.

The lens of society helps the students understand family, community, and nation. We discuss the structure of social classes and seek to understand comparative political systems as well as the complex relationships between the peoples of the world.

Last, but not least, we seek to develop an awareness of economic issues from basic needs and wants to capital and markets, distribution, and consumption. We want the students to be able to recognize and analyze the economic systems of the world and to realize the interdependence of mankind, economically.

We seek to accomplish the above through a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction readings, by authors from the cultures we are studying, if possible; through guest lectures and slide shows by natives or guests of these countries; through video presentations; through magazines and newspapers. The students enjoy music, dance, and the arts in a variety of venues. Some units also include study and preparation of foods of the area being studied. Each year we mount a large-scale dramatic production that integrates with the year’s theme and sparks cooperative growth by involving the whole Senior class.

In the course of their three Senior years, students will learn to: locate, collect, and winnow information analyze and synthesize information organize and present information convincingly in spoken, written, and visual forms create graphic displays, timelines, diagrams, charts, and 3D presentations use and understand different map projections construct maps using scale 9.16.13

SENIOR SCIENCE YEAR 1 THEME: PATTERN & DIVERSITY: Geology, Paleontology and Fossil Record, Evolution, Genetics, Technology & Invention YEAR 2 THEME: ENERGY & MOTION: Newtonian Mechanics, Electricity, Light-Sound-Water Waves, Renewable Energy YEAR 3 THEME: SYSTEMS & STRUCTURES: Biology, Chemistry, Human Nervous and Endocrine Systems, Strength of Materials

The goals of Science are to make concrete and relevant the beautiful abstractions of science, to provide exposure to a wide range of topics, and to develop in each student the confidence in his/her ability to solve problems and draw conclusions from observations. To accomplish these goals the students construct knowledge through their participation in lab experiments, science journal entries, demonstrations, and self-designed investigations. The students also practice field research techniques by examining terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates on the Arbor campus and by conducting stream flow surveys of Saum Creek. In this course of study the Seniors gain hands-on experience with native and non-native plant species, water and soil quality, and the positive and negative ways people can impact the world.

Science is frequently integrated with the concurrent Theme in Humanities. The China unit might include a study of the abacus, gunpowder, the construction of the Great Wall, and advances in genetics research; the unit on the Americas might explore modern inventions such as the light bulb, telephone, assembly line, computers, and renewable energy; and the African unit might trace the development of scientific thought and evolution through the fossil record.

SENIOR MATH

The Senior math program is oriented toward pre-algebra and algebra. Most students finish the equivalent of Algebra I by the end of their eighth-grade year and go on to take Geometry or the equivalent course in their first year of high school. Math is taught in single-grade classes, but the curriculum is designed to allow individualized rates of progress.

Arbor Seniors work their way through a homegrown algebra curriculum in the form of a series of three textbooks written by Linus and Greg: Jousting Armadillos (which is also being used by several other schools), Crocodiles & Coconuts, and A Companionable Guide to Polynomials and Quadratics.

Students begin their sixth-grade year with an introduction to the vocabulary of algebra. What is a variable? How can a variable be manipulated? What does it mean to use a letter to represent an unknown quantity and why might it be useful to do so? After beginning to answer such questions for themselves, students progress through units focused on negative numbers, using algebraic tools in the contexts of proportions and rational expressions, and solving single-variable equations.

Once they have mastered the techniques for writing and solving single-variable equations, students make the most important shift in a basic algebra course: to two-variable equations. The power of formulas to describe the world, and particularly to model its dynamism, is continuously emphasized. Students learn the relationship between equations and Cartesian graphs and practice graphing linear, inverse, and quadratic functions. Simultaneous equations are studied, with a particular focus on what it means for a set of equations to share a single solution and on applying simultaneous equations to problem-solving situations.

The next units of study are designed to build increasingly abstract and complex skills. Students examine exponents and scientific notation, radicals, and exponential functions. They learn to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and factor polynomials and then to apply these skills to solving quadratic equations. Advanced courses of study, including geometry and some materials that appear in traditional high school Algebra II curricula, are available for truly ambitious students.

Throughout their years as Senior mathematicians, students are asked to muster and hone their problem-solving skills. They wrestle with puzzles; practice making and checking estimates, looking for patterns, making drawings and diagrams; and rehearse such fundamental skills as the manipulation of rational numbers. Small groups of students work together, becoming one another’s teachers and supporters. The flexibility for every student to advance

at a comfortable pace is a hallmark of the Senior math program. Writing is strongly emphasized as a means of exploring and solidifying mathematical concepts: from the sixth grade on, each student is asked to write Notes to Self about new ideas, creating a personal textbook that can serve as a valuable resource during tests and work periods. Tests are routinely given, with the understanding that they serve as means to assess, but also to stretch and enliven, students’ grasp of the material.

SENIOR SPANISH

The three-year Senior Spanish program introduces students to both the grammatical structure of the language and to the cultures and concerns of the Spanish-speaking world. The approach is threefold. First, it seeks to bridge the linguistic and cultural divide between “English speakers” and “Spanish speakers” as Spanish, the second most widely spoken language in the world, and the first in the Americas, becomes a de facto second language in the U.S. Second, it helps students build awareness of progress achieved via persistence, gain facility in attention to detail and pattern recognition, and experiment with techniques for learning according to individual needs. Third, it combines both communicative and grammatical methods. To quote an Arbor student, “It’s not how much you know, it’s how you use what you know.” Thus, when students practice conversation in the classroom, they rely on their circumlocution skills rather than running to a dictionary when they find themselves stuck. This fosters creative linguistic problem solving and self-reliance. “Grammar” is studied as a puzzle to be investigated and understood rather than as a set of rules to be memorized. The language is appreciated as a living entity that is daily spoken by hundreds of millions of people with their own histories and experiences.

Sixth-grade Spanish offers students an introduction to the study of a second language. Through in-class and at-home study and practice, students discover the syntactic and morphological structure of the language, work within a highly predictable phonetic spelling system, and track their habits and progress by responding to and participating in regular assessments. They are introduced to cognates, which resonate with the etymons studied in Humanities and simultaneously help build both English and Spanish vocabulary. This first year of Spanish involves a good deal of vocabulary building and lays the basic grammatical foundation for the way the language works—and, to a certain extent, the way languages work. Sixes also enjoy increasing opportunities to converse and to write and illustrate their own ideas.

Seventh graders continue to build on this foundation by furthering their understanding of the structure of the language. This course reinforces basic grammatical building blocks and continues work with more advanced concepts. Sevens find their ability to understand and communicate expanding rapidly toward the end of the year. In this year, students investigate the history, geography, culture, and current events of the roughly twenty officially Spanish-speaking countries of the world. The guiding question for this project is, “What is life like in [this country] and what makes it so?”

Eighth graders delve further into the language and work to hone their writing, reading, and conversational abilities. Students participate in frequent conversation, whether about their weekend plans or the history of Mexico. Eights study the culture, geography, and history of Mexico in order to build an appreciation of our closely linked national neighbor, which is home to the largest number of native Spanish speakers in the world.

While every high school’s language program and expectations are different, graduates are generally very well prepared for a second-year course as freshmen, and some students choose to put in extra effort to prepare to leap into a higher level. The eighth-grade course offers regular opportunities for students to choose appropriate levels of challenge for themselves. Student and teacher monitor individual progress as students pursue their personal challenges. Graduates take with them a solid understanding of the language and its cultures as well as their own strengths and needs as they select an appropriate level in which to continue their studies in high school.

SENIOR PROJECT

Creating thoughtful, intentional, self-directed learners and doers is the central goal of Arbor School’s work with its middle-grade students (6th, 7th, and 8th grade). As final testament to each 8th grader’s personal attainment of that goal, we ask students to complete a major independent project that is of great personal interest and to do so with the assistance of a mentor from the local community. This project entails a research-based, written element and is presented to the Arbor community at year’s end and in several venues, including a speech given by each student as

part of Arbor’s graduation ceremony.

While each student receives a great deal of general guidance and support in choosing, embarking upon, and completing the project from the Senior teaching team, the mentor serves as the technical support in the field pertinent to the student’s topic. We ask that a mentor meet with the student, at a time convenient to the mentor and, if on a school day, after school Monday–Thursday or Friday after noon: the first visit involving the narrowing of the project’s focus; the middle visits following the progress of the project and providing opportunities for course correction; and the last visit assisting the student in the final presentation format of the project, including review of the written portion (the editing of which will be handled through Arbor School).

The components, each designed to represent the student’s best efforts, are: • a proposal, to be submitted to the Director outlining the scope of the project and a timeline for its completion; • a proposal for a mentor; • an ongoing account of progress (process journal) AND a final written document, a copy of which is to remain in the school archives (the Director and Senior Liaison will review materials periodically); • a culminating creative element that portrays the essence of the project and has a physical component that can remain in the school archives; • a presentation to mentors, parents, and faculty members.

Previous projects include:

Building a treehouse; an exploration of metaphor; rabbitry; building a telescope; contemporary and historical architectural modeling; aviation: from physics to glider license, learning to fly a powered, fixed- wing aircraft; a study of helicopters; a study of the ecosystems of the rocky Pacific shoreline; the history and proposed revision of the Oregon Bottle Bill; a study of how grade school students might volunteer to serve within the social organizations of our community; programmable robotics; illustrated original poetry; a prospectus for a Hawaiian Island resort created to support research in an underwater observatory/dolphin facility; a study of the life of Joan of Arc; designing and presenting an original ballet sequence; sea kayak construction; studying and creating musical compositions/recordings for the piano, guitar, voice, multiple instruments; a study of the growth and development of a horse foal from conception; a study of cerebral SPECT imaging as used in the diagnosis and treatment of dementia; a holocaust story; a year with the Portland Rockies; creating an import business to sell scarves made in Malaysia through Portland businesses to benefit a Malaysian orphanage; a one-act play; a study of the Basque; learning to sail and navigate; veterinary medicine experience; teaching underprivileged children ceramics; photography; nature writing; raptor rehabilitation; search and rescue dog training; seeing eye dog training; screenplay, video, and music- video production; web design; staging and directing of children’s theater productions; an illustrated novella; a history of computers; a study of atomic sub-particles; experience in and reflection upon a hospital emergency room; animation: computer, drawing, clay; historical and theatrical costume design and fabrication; an examination of a different ending to the Battle of Gettysburg; glass art: blowing, fusion, lampwork; apprenticing for a local musical production; city greenspace planning; architectural bridge design; a study of the effects of visual advertising; an internship at an advertising agency; bladesmithing; a graphic novel of Animal Farm; scuba diving; the art of surveying; illustrations for the third Harry Potter book; a study of the HIV virus and AIDS; creation of an abstract strategy game; designing a golf course; metalsmithing/jewelry making; assisting a scientific study of Japanese Macaque monkeys; ceramics; a study of portrait drawing; poetic retellings of well-known children’s stories; a recipe book and business plan for a candy company; constructing a mountain bike; go-cart construction; creative paintings in various contemporary styles; wood-turning/lathe apprenticeship; designing a snowboard; a study of skateboarding and skate parks; internship with a child psychologist/ researcher; welding and gravitram construction; graphics design for fireworks; training wild mustangs; wood furniture construction in various styles; development of a cartoon; rebuilding a car to run on ethanol; analysis of environmental economics; rocketry; horse therapy for children; basketball clothing & shoe design; the study of architectural interior design; a study of relational aggression in fourth-grade girls; a study of the Montessori method of teaching, planning for a colony on Mars; Japanese history through comic book art; a study of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis; creation of a truffle cookbook and a guide to chocolate; a study of Arbor history from the Triassic age; the design and fabrication of dresses; a study of professional cake baking; magazine publication; green and net-zero architecture; sailboat construction using stitch-and-glue method; marimba

construction; fuel cell technology; refurbishing an antique tractor; French pastry; golf club design; history of prohibition and the distillation of moonshine; monologues of three historical women, written and performed; portrait painting; web design explaining systems biology; film acting; house design for a paraplegic person; restoration of an ATV; encaustics; bronze sculpture; field research of a Clackamas River area; raising money to develop a school in Cambodia; Cuban cooking; recipe development for healthy, low-cost, easy-to-make recipes for kids from low-income families; development of a smart phone application; contemporary dance choreography; design and construction of a surf board; Scottish drumming; an anthology of poetic forms; African drum construction; staging a junior tennis tournament; fairy tale rewriting and analysis; magic.

The project is then presented by the student first to mentors, parents, and faculty and then at graduation in the presence of the school community. This process and final moments at the end of an Arbor career are transforming. Everyone who attends graduation leaves moved by the accomplished presence of the graduates. 8.23.13

MUSIC Music instruction for the Primary and Junior classes includes a variety of experiences in movement, language, singing, and playing classroom instruments, with an emphasis on improvisation and ensemble skills. Students develop a vocabulary of musical terms and basic notation as the year progresses; music instruction frequently integrates with curricular Themes.

Intermediates take formal instruction in music through introduction to the recorder. They learn to read and make music together in a new way. The first year focuses on sound production and musical notation. The second year affords opportunities for the students to encounter music requiring independence of lines.

Throughout the three years a student spends as a Senior, s/he will continue to improve her/his music reading skills through the study of recorder, choral music, and participation in ensembles of pitched and non-pitched percussion (i.e. xylophones, glockenspiels, drums). Materials are gleaned from a variety of texts and sources; music from specific cultures and historical periods enriches the Seniors’ Humanities Theme studies. Students have the opportunity to compose and present music for special Arbor events and to participate in choral and instrumental ensembles for community celebrations. Arbor’s lively folk music tradition brings the school together for weekly song circles fueled by an Arbor songbook of favorites. 9/18/12

PHYSICAL EDUCATION At Arbor, P.E. is truly intended to be physical education, encompassing both physical development and character development.

Students increase their general physical fitness in the course of P.E. activities. Activities are chosen for their potential to help students develop fundamental motor skills, e.g. locomotion; balance and coordination; kinesthetic awareness; and catching, throwing, kicking, and hitting balls. P.E. is also considered an important time in which the children can plainly be physical and play wholeheartedly, balancing the intense, mental work they do in the classroom. As in the classroom, children are encouraged to give their best effort and to support the best efforts of others.

As well as general fitness and skill proficiency, P.E. at Arbor is geared toward developing life-enhancing habits: an appreciation for being active and an understanding of the need for proper care of the body.

Additional non-physical lessons are learned during P.E. Arbor’s P.E. program takes as its core mission the development of sportsmanship: observing the rules of play, treating other participants with fairness and generosity, and winning or losing with grace. Given that Arbor’s P.E. program values participation and fair play over winning, skills such as teamwork, awareness of others, and listening are emphasized. Students improve their skills of negotiation and compromise and demonstrate increasing ability to play successfully within agreed upon rules. Students also have opportunities to come to terms with the realities of fairness and unfairness in the context of a rule-bound experience and to practice control over their emotions. Character in leadership is developed with children practicing both being leaders by stepping forward and followers by stepping back in order to allow others to be leaders.

Since children differ in ability and temperament, it is expected that both students and teachers will be flexible in understanding that different children have varying expectations for their participation in P.E. All students are expected to participate in P.E. activities unless the School is notified in writing to the contrary by the parent.

Arbor’s P.E. program is not designed to serve as a pre-competitive sports program, but older students will have occasional opportunities to exercise their skills within the context of a competitive situation with teams from other schools.

P.E. at the Primary level focuses on the fundamentals. In order to create an environment suitable for a positive, engaging, and fun P.E. experience the Primaries develop their movement, participation, and cooperative skills. Some activities are skill based. Others are classified as cooperative games, which are noncompetitive and group-oriented. Occasional competitive games allow the children to enjoy the fun of competition and learn about the teamwork needed to accomplish a goal, without the discouragement of elimination.

The Junior level focuses on balancing physical and social development. Since the Juniors have already established some of the key fundamentals, this is an ideal time for building skills, attitude, and cooperation. While allowing the children to be physically active, the games also encourage them to be team players as well as take responsibility for themselves. At this level students begin to be able to enhance their success in various games by working not only on the development of physical skills, but also by engaging their mental capacities. We play games that offer a variety of experiences for the children, from cooperative games, to strategy games, to more traditional competitive games. In each of these activities, the goal is to create a non-threatening and fun atmosphere in which the children feel comfortable, engaged, can expend energy, and challenge themselves physically and socially.

In Intermediate P.E. the main objective is to engage the children in fun activities while challenging them to think and act outside of themselves. It is important that each maintains a positive self-image within the realm of P.E. while further developing his/her skills. This is most successfully accomplished through games that require everyone’s participation. At this age, children begin to see that mental power, often in the form of teamwork and strategies, can earn an upper hand over raw but undisciplined physical ability.

Senior P.E. is sometimes divided into week-long activity units that focus on building skills for activities ranging from team building to football. The group size is broken down, most frequently by grade or by choice, in order to provide more opportunities for participation. P.E. provides an outlet for the students to be active, release energy, and have fun, as well as for them to learn how to play within the boundaries of a game, be responsible for themselves, and be positive leaders among their peers as they start to take responsibility for others. 5/25/2004

ASSESSMENT Arbor does not follow the convention of standardized testing as mandated by state government and local districts for public schools. The reasons underlying this decision are several: standardized tests are not actually designed to tell anything about the individual progress of a child. Instead, these tests provide a comparative analysis, rating a child or group of children against others, so that one only knows how well the child is doing relative to some set of other children. In order to make these distinctions, the tests themselves are designed to sift out children by focusing on minor details of understanding rather than major concepts and learning hurdles. The tests also focus on a narrow band of knowledge and behaviors, never really tapping into the complexity of a task associated with a true problem-solving situation. In short, standardized tests provide little meaningful information that might inform a teacher or parent about why Johnny can't read or what he does or doesn't understand about long division. To quote Roger Farr, a contributor to many national standardized tests used for high-stakes accountability assessments, "I don't think there's any way to build a multiple-choice question that allows students to show what they can do with what they know."

By not using standardized tests or grades, parents may wonder how we know whether their child is learning or not. With the absence of tests and grades it may appear that we as teachers are not attending to matters of achievement. Come into an Arbor classroom, however, and listen to Arbor teachers and you will come to understand that a wide range of assessment and evaluation takes place here constantly. What follows is an overview of the scope and pervasiveness of Arbor's documentation of student learning and development.

Our task as teachers is to capture the child's ongoing academic, emotional, and creative development and communicate this progress to the parents. The curriculum itself provides the major means of doing this by challenging students to engage in work that calls upon them to continually problem solve and revise, rework, and refine their thinking. Both the process and product of the work reveal a great deal about what a child can currently accomplish and where the next steps of learning should lead. Along the way children and their teachers assemble portfolios of individual work, the children reflect upon their progress through written self-evaluations, and periodically assessments are given covering the concepts under study in math, science, and the children's research. An anecdotal log is kept in each classroom where special note is made of a child's behavior and academic progress. Also throughout the year, classrooms host celebration days as an area of study is completed. During this time parents are invited in to view and share with their children the work that has been accomplished. In this way, we hope to keep parents well informed of their child's trajectory. Taken together these collections, assessments, and records provide a rich array of evidence indicating a child's progress.

CONFERENCES AND REPORTS Throughout the year teachers regularly communicate with parents to provide information on a child's progress. In October teachers conference with the parents of each child in the classroom. Parents will have an opportunity to respond to a questionnaire designed to focus the first conference on specific issues of importance to them. All parents, especially those new to the school or the classroom, are invited to make an appointment to observe classes in the fall after the first parent conference. After Winter Break, a detailed report is sent home covering the child's intellectual, creative, and character development. As always, parental response to this report is encouraged. Spring conferences are scheduled for those children who will be remaining with the same teacher the following year. (Additional conferences may be scheduled at any time by either parent or teacher.) Summative reports are written at the end of the school year in June for children moving on to a new classroom or graduating. This report is designed to bring both parents and the new teacher up-to-date on the child’s progress in terms of skills, knowledge, and habits. Seventh graders also receive a June report which will aid in their application process to high schools come fall.

HOMEWORK At Arbor, homework is one of the tools we use to practice important processes, work on material needing repetition, and prepare for upcoming topics. Homework enhances theme work that is ongoing, extends connections, helps students go after new ideas, and links school and home. Through homework students develop habits of persistence, effortful independence, self-evaluation, and planfulness. It is work designed to be assayed in the supportive environment of home. It is, however, the child’s work. Ignoring it, doing it for one’s child, arguing about it, or leaving no free time to accomplish it with good spirit— none of these develops the capacity for independent effort that homework can create. Learning to tackle homework with dedication is a process that requires patience and persistence on everyone’s part and a place in familial priorities. We start early and slowly to build the habits that will allow our students to grow as independent learners, applauding them as they manage increasingly to be the initiators and evaluators of their own efforts. It is an undertaking that is not without frustration, but it is an important one.

There are some easy starting points for creating an appropriate physical environment in which your child can set about doing assigned work. Create with your child a quiet, well-lit area arrayed with the necessary tools for study (paper of several kinds, writing pencils, colored pencils, eraser, ruler, a timer or clock, a calendar for planning long- term assignments, folder, reference books, etc.). For many children a bedroom is not a good environment. Consider a table in the family room, living room, or dining room that is in close proximity to a place you will be working.

Make not only the place but the time for study customary and predictable. Design a routine with your child that reflects his/her daily rhythms, including breaks within study sessions if necessary. While there may be days in which a special activity (not one of the regularly scheduled ones that ought to be considered when devising the routine) rightly bumps the customary homework hour, a contingency plan ought to be created in advance. You can assume your child has homework from the Junior years on. Asking the question “Do you have any homework?” only serves to inhibit the student’s internalization of the routine. Each planned work time should be utilized until no work remains, as outlined below for each class group.

While your child is new at the business of work and time management it is helpful to preview the assignments together at the beginning of the work time to be certain s/he has a clear understanding of what is being required. Having an adequate understanding of the nature of the assignment is part of the child’s responsibility. If s/he has any unanswered questions, s/he should call the teacher for clarification. Older students who have chronic difficulties completing work would be well served by discussing the night’s work with a parent as well.

Do some studying yourself while your child is working. Do some reading, write letters, pay the bills, or do a job you yourself have been avoiding. By doing so, you show to your child that it is important to set aside time to accomplish tasks, even if they are not what one might choose to do if given a choice. During that time you should be available to answer questions and help when there are problems. Do remember that it is important for the teacher to understand what the student can do. Overinvolvement deprives the student of a feeling of mastery and misleads the teacher about the child’s understanding.

Being efficient and effective with the work at hand is another part of the learning experience. We assign work that, in our estimation, should take the amount of time outlined by class below. If the work is unfinished after a reasonable amount of time and effort has been expended, have your child stop working, and write the teacher a note saying you did so.

When your child is finished, take some time to find out what went well, what was new, and what still seems unclear. Use this as an opportunity to understand what is in your child’s school world. This is the time to remind your child to check his/her work, and to proofread papers before they are turned in. Do not check or proofread yourself until the child has worked to do so on his/her own. This is the time for encouragement and appreciation of what has been achieved. Let final decisions about accuracy and adequacy be left in the teacher’s hands; you can be certain that we will respond as we deem appropriate to the child’s work.

Appoint a sacred place by the front door for all folders, permission slips and notes, lunches, books, school bags, etc. At the end of the work session your child should put everything to go back to school into the school folder or into the school bag, not leaving final organization to chance in the bustle of early morning preparation. Leave the television off and play a game or read a book together as a family. In the morning all is ready. The day can begin on a positive note.

This is where we come in. Your child is organized and ready to start the school day, pleased with his/her timely accomplishments. Work completed at home becomes part of what the child utilizes at school. The cycle continues when we ask the students to do another set of tasks at home that are connected to what has been happening in school.

What follows is an overview of the progression of expectations that students will meet as they move forward at Arbor.

PRIMARY: Because the Primary day is a full and busy one, we believe the children benefit most from unstructured time for the remainder of their day. Private time, family time, time with friends, time just to muck around gives these littles what they need after their school day. We do encourage families to include reading in their evening routine and parents are encouraged to limit television time. Beyond the expectation that s/he can count on books in the evening, your child will have occasional projects to do at home with your help. Perhaps it involves doing a survey, making a beautiful book, designing a costume, or inventing an imaginary creature. Whatever the assignment, it will be filled with fun and opportunities for discussion.

JUNIOR: By the Junior year, students take a bit of time each evening to begin making the transition to doing regular homework. As young readers, Juniors are expected to read, or be read to, each night. The length of each reading session will depend on the individual child. Near the beginning of the year a reading journal is established for home use, with weekly assignments. Spelling and math assignments are gradually introduced as homework features. Beyond this there will be a year-end independent project and occasional special projects. These may include the gathering of materials at home for a school project, interviewing a parent, costume-making, or theme- related. Detailed information will go home at the start of each special project. Homework, including reading, should require approximately 30 — 45 minutes to complete.

INTERMEDIATE: By the time students have reached the Intermediate class they are capable of and expected to be reading an ongoing piece of fiction independently at least a half an hour each night, seven nights a week. As the recorder is introduced at this time, regular practice of a minimum of 20 minutes is expected at least three times weekly. Evenings prior to music and weekend nights are the practice times we suggest. Additional assignments, given at the beginning of the week for completion by Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, vary in nature depending on what we are doing in class and what kind of project will best prepare the students for the next day or extend the work that is going on in school. No homework other than reading is assigned on the weekend unless a student is experiencing chronic difficulties completing the week’s work or the evening assignments. Intermediates should be expected to spend a total of 1 hour — 1½ hours of concerted effort each week night on homework (including reading and recorder practice time).

SENIOR: Homework can be seen as a ticket to independence. The student is entrusted with a task to be completed away from teachers and in the caring environment of home. The goal is that each student step up to the task, attack it, and complete it doing her/his level best without (or with very little) aid. She/he returns with it and proudly presents it. “See, I am growing in responsibility. I can be entrusted a share of responsibility for my own growth, and I can deliver.” In class where homework is well done and passed in on time, the rate of growth both personal and educational soars.

Each student has nightly work in math and humanities, in addition to ongoing reading for pleasure and information. Some assignments are assigned to be completed the following day; others, especially in humanities, are to be completed over a period of several weeks with students expected to do a little work each night. As well, all students receive regular Spanish homework, plus an occasional music assignment involving research and/or listening. Students will periodically need to finish science lab work at home if they are unable to do so during class.

As a guideline we suggest that Senior families set aside a minimum of 1½ hours nightly for classroom homework, which may include poetry, vocabulary, math, Spanish, and on-going research of some length and depth in humanities and science (often requiring additional material from the library and always requiring reading, note- taking, and writing at home). This time may need to be extended for those who are more deliberate in their work.

SUMMER HOMEWORK: In order to help each student consolidate, maintain, and extend the level of proficiency that each has gained in the course of the school year, the teachers assign work to be completed over the course of the summer. The projects are designed to be engaging and enriching and to prepare the members of each class to begin on common ground in September. 5/9/2008