Sauvie Island School News

photograph with snowy bridge and tree

January 13th, 2025

On the Horizon

  • PTC meeting: Jan. 14th, 7-8pm, SIS Cafeteria

  • Middle School Dance: Jan. 17th, 1:15-2:45pm

  • MLK Jr. Day, no school: Jan. 20th

  • Donations for Clothing Swap: Jan. 21-28th

  • Clothing Swap: Jan. 31st during school hours

  • Math and Literacy Night: Jan. 31st, 5:30-6:30pm, SIS Gym and Cafeteria

Library Updates with Ms. Alisha

Library classes have been lively and filled with stories and activities. We've covered diverse topics such as literature and folktales from Latin America, banned books discussions, Native American storytelling and keeping up with our Digital Citizenship. Younger students learned about media balance while older students received an intro to the ins and outs of generative AI.

Our fall elective was Cultures & Cuisine where we learned about several countries around the world (Mexico, France, Iran and Japan) through games, presentations and, of course, food! The students were really engaged and we got to try some amazing creations.

We are about to enter OBOB school battles and this week is the deadline to finalize teams. I am here as a resource for all teams and welcome questions from parents as you help your child's team study and stay on top of their reading. We will begin school battles the week of February 10th.

Curriculum Updates with Ms. Dawn

Our Outdoor Classrooms

Every day, SIS students spend time in our outdoor environments. We build many intentional times of the day into making sure students get outside, rain or shine!  This is considered an important part of our curriculum.  On a given week, students may:

- Play with friends during one of our regular recess periods

- Participate in a place based opportunity at Wapato or a local farm

- Work in our school garden or habitat

- Enjoy a PE class outside

- Go for a nature walk or activity in the grange field/woods

- Adventure at outdoor school 

- Release young salmon into the river

- And lots of other opportunities!

There are countless, research based benefits to spending time outside and enjoying the rich sensory environment of all the sights, sounds, temperatures and fresh air.  Physical development benefits from movement and activity that support strengthening muscles and improving coordination, balance and agility.  This also supports resilience and problem solving as students who feel strong and coordinated are more likely to continue engaging in physical activity throughout their lives. There is even some early research that spending time outdoors reduces the rates of myopia in children.  Socially, students practice the same skills of cooperation, conflict resolution and positive interactions they work on in the classroom in a more open, less structured space.  Emotionally, spending time outdoors is a tool of emotional well-being.  A simple activity such as going for a walk can reduce stress, improve mood and help with emotional self-regulation.  Finally, spending time and learning about the natural environment builds an intellectual understanding and respect for these spaces.  Students are natural scientists who are inspired to ask questions and engage their curiosity about the plants and animals (especially the animals!) that live alongside humans and bring this engagement into their classroom work.  

Thank you to our parent community, for helping to make sure our students are dressed for the weather every day.  In our rainy corner of the world we do our best to embrace the motto "No bad weather, just unsuitable clothing"!  Thanks to all our staff and local partners who do the work to create these experiences and make space for our students to explore outdoors.

Art Updates with Mrs. O'Banion

 After spending the last few months studying color and value in art, we're switching gears to focus on line, shape, and space. This week we brainstormed all of the different types of lines we could think of, straight, zig-zag, scribbles, etc. Younger grades practiced drawing these lines, and older kids, Zentangles, with markers. All art portfolios should have made it home. I hope you enjoyed seeing the beautiful work your child has created!

Cooper works on his snowman design
Mabel proudly shows off her finished snowman
Art students hard at work in the studio
Flyer advertising our annual clothing and book exchange as well as Math and Literacy Night

Volunteer Corner

The annual SIS Clothing and Book Exchange will be coming up after the first of the year on January 31st. Start saving your clean/washed, gently used, adult and youth clothing and books now.  You can donate between January 21st-28th.  Be on the lookout for upcoming volunteer shout outs with details/specifics for volunteer needs during this much loved event.  

Ongoing volunteer opportunities can be found in the newsletter and on the SIS and SIS PTC Facebook pages! Check them frequently to stay up to date on any volunteer needs we may have. 

A reminder that all volunteers need to have an up to date background check on file with the school office.  Please reach out if you are unsure if yours is up to date and we can verify for you.  These need to be renewed every two years.  As always, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns or if you would like to be added to the email list for ongoing volunteer opportunities at volunteers@sauvieislandschool.org.

Best,

Kelli Magnia and Mashell Pastorino 

SIS Volunteer Coordinators

PTC Updates

List of upcoming PTC meetings

SIS Bingo night for families flyer

6th Grade plant sale flyer

Save the Date for the auction

Save the Date flyer with UPC code

Flyer for auction tickets

How to sponsor or donate to the auction

Help wanted at the annual SIS auction flyer

Community

Community Notice Disclaimer:

Sauvie Island School offers community organizations the opportunity to post information that may be of interest to students and families.  Sauvie Island School does not endorse or recommend any of these organizations, services or products.  The responsibility is on families to evaluate the organization and its services and products.  Sauvie Island School will not be held responsible for any actions or inactions connected to these organizations.  

SAFE Oregon flyer

SafeOregon and the Oregon State Police remind students, parents, school staff, and community members that everyone plays a role in school safety. SafeOregon is a school safety tip line to report potential threats against students and schools confidentially or anonymously.

SafeOregon asks that if you see or hear something concerning to let someone know. Tips may be submitted 24 hours per day, 7 days per week: 

  • Call or text: 844-472-3367

  • Email: tip@safeoregon.com

  • Website: www.safeoregon.com

  • Download the mobile app 

All tips are immediately received by a tip line technician and are forwarded to designated school personnel or law enforcement to respond to reported incidents.

SafeOregon receives tips focused on school safety, including:

  • Safety threats

  • Violence or threats of violence 

  • Fights

  • Drugs, alcohol, or weapons on campus

  • Bullying, harassment, or intimidation 

  • Cyberbullying 

  • Friends or peers discussing self-harm or suicide

Call 911 for situations requiring an immediate emergency response. It is a violation of Oregon law to make false reports to SafeOregon. For more information about SafeOregon, visit our website at safeoregon.com. 

Odds and Ends

  • Busses, Arrivals and Departures: Please arrive at the bus hub by 7:45am. Halls open at 8:20, school begins at 8:25. Please do not leave students in the parking lot unattended!

  • School dismissal is at 3pm, 2pm on Wednesdays. Any changes to your child's pick-up routine must be made with Ann at the front desk at least one hour prior to dismissal.

  • Please check Lost & Found for any missing treasures! All items left over the winter break will be donated as we do not have the room to keep lost items indefinitely.

    You can access old newsletters by going to Documents-->About Us-->SIS newsletter in your SIS App

    or by clicking here in your browser or phone.

Grange Hall Rentals

The Sauvie Island Grange is available to all as a rental space for private parties, meetings and gatherings. You can rent the building by the hour or half-day. The hall space can be rented separately from the kitchen or together based on need. Grange members thoroughly sanitize the hall and kitchen before scheduled use. Please visit this link for more specifics on rentals or contact Katherine Topaz at 503-708-0008. 

Be in the Know!

  • Download the new Sauvie Island app today! Visit the iOS App Store or Android Play and enable notifications.

  • Visit Facebook and Instagram for important updates and photos of activities! Visit our website to see what's going on! 

  • Add our school calendar directly to your Google Calendar. Our calendar link is here.

    • This article gives you more instructions on how to do this.