News to Celebrate:

We received our State Report Card for our 2007-2008 test results, and our overall rating was "Exceptional."

As a group, Alameda students continue to perform higher than other students in Oregon, and have some of the highest test scores in Reading, Math, Writing, and Science in the Portland Public School District. The performance data speaks to the quality and rigor of academic instruction and achievement that is created by the staff, and the support that we receive from our parent community. Thank you for all that you do!

Andrew Dauch

Important TAG Information:

TAG Nomination/Application Deadline

The deadline for all TAG student nominations/applications for this year is November 26, 2008. If possible, I strongly encourage you to complete the application process and return to your child's teacher before this date.

Parent/Student Surveys and Individual Instructional Plan

If you have a TAG identified child, we encourage you to return your Parent/Student Survey to your child's teacher as soon as possible. This is a critical part of developing your child's Individual Instructional Plan. In the event that you do not want an instructional plan written for your child, a waiver is available. Please speak directly with your teacher about this option.

TAG Fall Parent Meeting

We will have a TAG parent meeting to share new TAG information on Tuesday, October 21 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM at the Beverly Cleary/Fernwood Campus, 1915 NE 33rd Ave.

PPS TAG Parents Advisory Council

Are you interested in attending the PPS TAG Parent's Advisory Council? If so, please email Teri Geist at tgeist@pps.k12.or.us for dates and times.

Beaumont TAG Committee

The Beaumont TAG committee would like to include parents of 5th grade TAG students in their email distribution list to facilitate a smooth transition to Beaumont. If you are interested in participating in Beaumont TAG meetings and receiving updates, you can email John McAllister directly at jmacllisnw@comcast.net .

Beaumont School Foundation

Do you have a 5th grader who will be attending Beaumont next year? The Beaumont School Foundation invites you to attend our next meeting, Tuesday, October 14 at 7:00 PM, in the Beaumont Middle School Library. Learn more about how you can help us prepare your child for high school and build community at the same time. For more information, contact Suzanne Goddyn, Alameda/Beaumont Liaison, 503 830-8516 or sgoddyn@windermere.com

TAG News Sources

Looking for trustworthy news sources from different perspectives? Multnomah County Library guides deliver. Get news on global conflicts, as well as local , state, and national and international news on all topics. Take a virtual tour around the world, or just around Oregon!

Current News:

• Global Conflicts: http://www.multcolib.org/guides/conflict/news.html
• Local: http://www.multcolib.org/ref/mags.html#portland
• State: http://www.multcolib.org/ref/mags.html#oregon
• National and International: http://www.multcolib.org/ref/mags.html#national
• Read the Multnomah Co. Library's monthly E- newsletter: http://www.multcolib.org/newsletter/

TAG Student Genre Reads

Good reads for TAG Students, age appropriate by grade reading level: A bibliography from Multnomah County Library resources. Genres include: Adventure, Animal Stories, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, and Realistic Fiction. (Reading levels are taken from the Accelerated Reader (http://www.renlearn.com/store/quiz_advanced.asp); the first number indicates grade level, the second the number of months after entering that grade.)

• Good Reads: Ages 5-8 (http://www.tag.pps.k12.or.us/.docs/pg/400/rid/11107/f/ Good_Reads_for_5-8.doc)
• Good Reads: Ages 8-11 (http://www.tag.pps.k12.or.us/.docs/pg/400/rid/11041/f/ Good_Reads_for_8-11.doc)
• Good Reads: Ages 11-14 (http://www.tag.pps.k12.or.us/.docs/pg/400/rid/11042/f/ Good_Reads_for_11-14.doc)

TAG and the Law

From Oregon Revised Statutes relating to Talented and Gifted Programs:

343.395 Definitions for ORS 343.391 to 343.413

(7) "Talented and gifted children" means those children who require special educational programs or services, or both, beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order to realize their contribution to self and society and who demonstrate outstanding ability.

(More information can be accessed through links to ODE from the TAG web page: http://www.tag.k12.our.us.)

FRI 10 --- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - statewide inservice day for staff

WED 15 --- 3rd grade Bridge Walk, Reynolds

THURS 16 --- Kindergarten field trip to Kruger Farm pumpkin patch (11 AM - 1:30 PM)

THURS 16 --- 4th & 5th grade Family Math & Science Night (cafeteria, 7 - 8:30 PM)

FRI 17 --- 3rd grade Bridge Walk, McElroy

FRI 17 --- Family Movie Night (cafeteria, 6:30 PM)

TUES 21 --- Kinder Konzert, 1st Grade (9:00 - 10:40 AM)

TUES 21 --- 5th grade to Biztown all day

TUES 21 --- Fall TAG parent meeting (6:30 - 7:30 PM, Beverly Cleary/Fernwood cafeteria, 1915 NE 33rd Ave.)

TUES 21 --- Folk concert benefiting Alameda's music and performing arts program (cafeteria, 7 - 8:30)

WED 22 --- Box Tops for Education submission deadline

THURS 23 --- Grandparents & Special Friends Day

THURS 23 --- 3rd Annual Wine and Dine for Alameda (6:30 - 9 PM, 4136 NE 28th)

THURS 23 --- 4th & 5th grade Family Math & Science Night (cafeteria, 7 - 8:30 PM)

TUES 28 --- Site Council (3:30 PM)

TUES 29 --- 4th grade Lelooska field trip (9:00Am - 2:00 PM)

FRI 31 --- Halloween Parade (2:00 PM)

WED 5 --- 3rd grade field trip to see "James and the Giant Peach" (9:00 AM - 12:00 noon)

WED 5 --- PTA meeting (7 - 8 PM, library; free childcare provided)

THURS 13 --- Alameda's day to provide volunteers to the PTA Clothing Center

MON 17 --- Book Fair starts

TUES 18 --- Site Council (3:30 PM)

WED 19 --- Parent Coffee with the Principal (8:45 AM)

FRI 21 --- School Spirit - Twin Day

FRI 21 --- Field Trip for K, 2nd & SLCC classes to MHCC Theater (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM)

SAT 22 --- Alameda School Fall Landscape Work Party (9 AM)

WED 26 --- TAG nomination/application deadline

MON 24 - TUES 25 --- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS; parent-teacher conferences

WED 26 - FRI 28 --- Thanksgiving Break

Free Alameda All Star caps are available in the front office. Stop by and pick one up - first come, first served!

Yes indeed, it's time to call Nana or Grampy or Auntie or another cool adult in your child's life (this could even be you, yourself) to invite them to join your child (ren) for Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day at Alameda on Thursday, October 23. Below is the schedule of events. We hope you will be able to join us!! Please email Kelly Whitty at kellywhitty2002@yahoo.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer. More news next week!

A Note from Principal Lurie:

In order for this event to run smoothly, I'm asking for your help with a few things. First, please do not arrive at the location of your event until the time indicated; this will help immensely with logistics. Second, if at all possible, please wait for the dismissal bell to take your student home. If you need to pull your child out early, please send a note to his or her teacher and check them out in the office. In order to keep our students safe, we need to know where they are at all times.

Thank you!

Raddy Lurie

• Kindergarten: Classroom visit time is 10:30-11:15 a.m.; no program time in the cafeteria
• 1st Grade: Classroom visit time is 1:30- 2:05 p.m.; program time in the cafeteria is 2:15-3:00 p.m.
• 2nd Grade: Classroom visit time is 1:30- 2:05 p.m.; program time in the cafeteria is 2:15-3:00 p.m.
• 3rd Grade: Classroom visit time is 2:15- 3:00 p.m.; program time in the cafeteria is 1:30-2:05 p.m.
• 4th Grade: Classroom visit time is 2:15- 3:00 p.m.; program time in the cafeteria is 1:30-2:05 p.m.
• 5th Grade: Classroom visit time is 2:15- 3:00 p.m.; program time in the cafeteria is 1:30-2:05 p.m.

Thank you parents & students for all your hard work over the past two weeks to support the Alameda Gift Wrap Fundraiser. We will have the results soon to see which two lucky classes will win a Pizza Party. If you have not turned in your order form, please turn it in to Diane in the office by Monday, October 13th. Thanks again for your participation & if you have any questions, you can e-mail Julie Brennan at klm- bp@q.com.

Parents, if you are missing the PE Newsletters, please check out the Alameda School website (www.alameda.pps.k12.or.us). If you go to the PE webpage, you will find not only the monthly newsletters, but also the new "Homeplays" from the SPARK curriculum (our district's new PE adoption). Mrs. LeBaron will also have hard copies of newsletters and Homeplays on the bulletin board outside the gym door.

The PTA Clothing Center has already served over 400 students this school year. As a result, we are low on donations of gently-used clothing and cash donations to purchase new jeans, socks and underwear. If you have clothes that your child has outgrown, please consider donating them to the Clothing Center for students in need. We are especially low on boys' and girls' jeans sizes 4-14 and warm winter coats for the rainy days ahead. If you would like a tax donation receipt, please include a general list of the items you are donating with your name and address on it, and you will be mailed a receipt. The school secretary also has PTA Clothing Center receipts. Monetary donations can be sent to the PTA Clothing Center treasurer, Jackee Duvall, 2246 SE 90th Ave. Portland, OR 97216.

Alameda's day to send 3-5 volunteers to the Clothing Center is Thursday, November 13th. Volunteers are welcome any Monday and Thursday school day from 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM. Just drop in to volunteer, the whole time or even for just a couple of hours. The address is: Marshall HS Campus, 3905 SE 90th Ave, Room C- 58. (The major cross streets are SE Powell and SE 92nd, out by the Chucky Cheese.)

Thanks so much!

Sharon Meigh-Chang / PTA Clothing Center Chair / 503.293.0783 / ptaclothingcenter@comcast.net

Please join the Alameda Stand for Children team to hear County Commissioner and Alameda parent, Jeff Cogen, talk about the Children's Investment Fund (measure 26-94). The Children's Investment Fund is a property tax levy up for renewal in November. It helps over 16,000 children per year by investing in cost effective, proven programs that: help prevent child abuse; help children in foster care succeed; and improve academic achievement. Jeff will be happy to answer all your questions.

• WHEN: Tuesday, October 14th (6:45 to 8:15 PM)
• WHERE: David Finkelman's house (3527 NE 19th Avenue)

Dessert and wine will be served!

Childcare will be provided. Please contact Tara Russell and let her know how many children you will be bringing.

Tara Russell / Trussell2002@hotmail.com / 503.282.5771

Movie Night tickets go on sale Monday morning in the front lobby! Get your tickets early and join friends and family to watch Alvin, Theodore and Simon rock out on the big screen in the Alameda cafeteria. The event takes place Friday, October 17th at 6:30 PM (doors will open at 6:00 PM). Tickets are $2 for adults and children (but children three years old and younger are free). Tickets will be sold before and after school throughout next week (as long as supplies last). On Movie Night, bring your blankets and pillows for floor seating. Receive a free bag of popcorn for a donation of a nonperishable food item to benefit the Oregon Food Bank. Questions? Contact Andrea Weinman, Alameda PTA, familyfun@alamedaschool.org.

Cindy Woolf with Mark Cassidy

Tuesday, October 21

7 - 8:30 PM

Alameda Elementary School

$10 adult / $5 child at the door, or for advance tickets, please contact emily@njdoty.com

Come to Alameda on Tuesday, October 21st to hear some great folk music with your little ones! This is a footloose and fancy free way to enjoy some quality live music in a venue that's child and family friendly - not earsplittingly loud, no smoky atmosphere! Cindy Woolf has a soft spot for Alameda's children, and would like to perform a special concert benefiting their music program!

Please join us for the 3rd Annual Wine and Dine for Alameda to benefit the Alameda School Foundation on Thursday, October 23rd, from 6:30 to 9 PM at the home of Jason and Tennys Enders! Enjoy a sampling of wines from boutique Oregon vineyards, dine on delicious food, and enjoy LIVE music from Alameda parent Tim Connell and his band, Rio Con Brio. Our wine, venue, and music have been generously donated, so 100% of the proceeds benefits our school! Tickets for this event are limited to 75 participants and are $35 per person. Ticket forms are available in the front office in the orange Wine and Dine envelope. Please contact manjudutta@comcast.net with questions or if you would like to donate appetizers for this event.

The PTA membership count is now at 350; last week it was 250! What a wonderful thing! Please keep the PTA envelopes coming in, as you are not too late for dues even though the Directory Form deadline has passed!

A big THANK YOU to all of you who attended the PTA Meeting on Oct. 1. . . it was informative, fun and we enjoyed meeting you. We apologize for not having a sign-in sheet to acknowledge those of you who came but will do so in the future. PTA members: there will be a vote to approve the Alameda PTA Standing Rules by the general membership at the next meeting, which will be Wednesday November 5, 7-8 PM in the library (free childcare provided); before the meeting please review the Rules on the Alameda Parent site at http://www.alamedaschool.org/Alameda%20PTA% 20Standing%20Rules%2008-09.doc .

Also, with a very important election upon us, with several critical statewide measures that potentially could have huge impact on education in Oregon, please review the position taken by the PTA at http://www.oregonpta.org/Advocacy/Oregon_PTA_Posit ions_Table.pdf .

Speaking of elections: Alameda students will have the opportunity to participate, if it works for their teachers, in a school-wide vote Oct. 20-30 for President as part of a nationwide event: more here at www.nationalmockelection.org .

Scrip Raises $2,296 So Far in 08-09

But we can't raise the money if you don't place your order!!

Use scrip for one-time big purchases at Home Depot. Or buy A Children's Place Bookstore gift certificates for birthdays. Need a new pair of jeans? Buy them at the Gap with scrip!

Every little bit helps.

eScrip Raises $456 So Far in 08-09

It just appears in the scrip bank account like magic!

Go to www.eScrip.com and follow the instructions, choosing Alameda Elementary as the beneficiary. Register at eScrip.com and every time you make qualifying purchases at Safeway, Whole Foods, Sierra Trading Post (it's almost ski season!), Burger King, Eddie Bauer and many, many more, the merchant automatically makes a donation to Alameda. Even works when you shop online!

Scrip/eScrip Questions:

Devani Scheidler / 503-281-0687 / scrip@alamedaschool.org

We're launching our Chinook Book fundraiser on October 16th to raise money for the Alameda PTA!

Chinook Book is a one-of-a-kind resource - a coupon book, a directory, a source of ideas and inspiration. The new edition of Chinook Book has over 300 coupons and resources for exploring our community and supporting local, sustainable businesses. To see a complete list please visit: www.ecometro.com.

The books are sold for $20 and Alameda keeps $10 per book! Save money and support our community with Chinook Book, the best of what's Green and Local.

Remember, Chinook Book has something for everyone! It makes a great gift so pick up copies for you and a friend.

Order forms will go home in Thursday folders on October 16th. We will also be selling the Chinook Book at designated times before and after school! If you have any questions or would like to help with the fundraiser, please contact Leah Lukrofka, leah@newseasonsrealestate.com or 503-502-3211.

Alameda is back in full swing with Campbell's Labels for Education! Similar to the Box Top program, the PTA sends in UPC codes from Campbell's Soup, Pepperidge Farms, V8, Prego, and other participating products. In return, Alameda receives points from Campbell's toward the purchase of supplies for our school. In 2007-08, we accumulated nearly 3,000 points! Look for the flyer in Thursday folders to see the complete list of eligible products.

Simply cut out the UPC code and put labels in the new collection envelope in Alameda's front lobby. Or to make things fun, we now have blank label collection sheets in the new collection box for families who want to fill up sheets, rather than trying to keep track of loose UPC labels! These sheets are also easy to give to relatives, friends, and neighbors who want a simple way to help support Alameda.

Questions?

Andrea Sten / campbellslabels@alamedaschool.org / 503- 282-9782

Help us earn double box tops for the October submission. Double Box top submission forms were sent home last Thursday to kindergarten and first grade students. Please fill out the forms, attach your box tops and resubmit by Wednesday, October 22nd, even if they are not completely filled with box tops. I have plenty I can add to ensure we receive double box tops and earn Alameda free money for the October submission! Please turn in any box tops you have by the October 22nd deadline. Thank you!!!

Questions?

Julie Mulick / Nami72@gmail.com / 503-545-9161

Box Tops for Education and Barnes and Noble.com have teamed up to bring you a way to earn cash for your school! Here's how:

Log on to www.btfe.com/readingroom to begin your online shopping.

Click on the "Shop now" buton to transfer to Barnes and Noble.com. Select your items and follow the standard checkout process

Your school will automatically be credited up to 6% of your purchase!

Bravo to everyone for participating in Walk and Bike to School Day! We know it's great for the planet, and helps the pocket book, too. But exercise is an important habit to acquire while we are young: it's vital to our health and well being that we get some exercise every day! I wonder if the teachers noticed a more settled-down and focused classroom since more kids got to walk off some of that energy before school?

Shannon Hebert

An Alameda mom

Alameda News Notes is a mostly weekly publication of the PTA to keep you informed about what is going on in the school community. Please e-mail articles appropriate for this publication to David Peyerwold: peyerwold@comcast.net. Some items may need to be cleared by the District before publication. Submissions that don't arrive by Wednesday morning usually will not make it into the hard copy version that is distributed at school. If your item is too late for this week's issue, it will be included in next week's. If something simply can't wait until next week, the News Notes staff has proven to be pretty flexible about sending out special notices. Please note: Information, flyers, etc., from unaffiliated school groups or general community groups announcing class offerings and other activities may be picked up from the magazine racks outside the main office.