WOH For Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015
Outdoor Education by Tim Allen, Middle School Teacher
Each year, Hope’s 6th graders travel together to Outdoor Education at Miracle Ranch for 3 days and 2 nights. Outdoor Ed is one of my most favorite times as a teacher and I look forward to it each year. I get to do 4 things I absolutely love: 1) hang out with my students in a non-traditional classroom setting, 2) be in the ‘wilderness’, 3) have campfires and eat s’mores, and 4) watch our students grow closer to God and become better friends with all the 6th graders from Hope and from other schools who we’ll be seeing throughout the year and in coming years.
It’s so fun to see how our students act outside of the classroom, because it gives me a better picture of who they are as a person when they’re in a less-structured and more adventurous setting. It helps me get to know them differently than I could just in the classroom. It makes me realize even more than I normally do how great our students are in and out of the classroom.
I love being in the wilderness because it allows me to unwind and open my mind to God in different ways than I can in my traditionally busy daily life. Each morning, I wake up earlier than the students in my cabin and walk down to the lake as the sun begins to rise and just take some time to pray and be quiet and listen as the day begins.
Campfires and s’mores represent for me some of the best moments of my childhood, and I love being able to provide those moments for students. Every year growing up, my family and I would go camping somewhere in the Oregon or Washington wilderness and we’d sit around the campfire and either talk as a family or sing songs or just generally have a good time, and I know our students do this at Outdoor Ed.
Finally, and most importantly, I love getting to watch (and help) students grow closer to God and each other. Each evening around the campfire, the students sing songs and then hear a devotional from one of the other teachers about their faith journey and how their life has led them to where they are leading our students on their own journeys.
Can’t wait for next year to do it all again!
Calendar of Events
Tues. – Fri. 10/6 – 10/9: Scholastic Book Fair
Wed. 10/7: 8:40 AM Chapel w/Mr. Allen 6th Gr. Class / Student Council Speeches / 6:30 PM PTH General Meeting
Thur. & Fri. 10/8 & 10/9: No School / Parent Teacher Conferences / ESC “XTRA” Open
Tues. 10/13: School Pictures – All Grades
Wed. 10/14: 8:40 AM Chapel w/Mr. Kapels 7th Gr. Class
Mon. 10/19 to Tues. 10/27: Standardized Testing
Parent Handbook Update
Each year, we update our Parent Handbook, which includes important information about dress code, parking, discipline, and communication with teachers, among many other things. This year, instead of sending it home to all families, we will send home a printed handbook to new families only. The updated parent handbook is also posted on our website for all families to read. For our returning families, note that we made some minor changes in the following areas:
- Change from semester to trimesters
- SchoolReach is now called SchoolMessenger
- Technology curriculum update
- Electives program update
- Musical performances update
- Tardy policy change related to the change to trimesters
- New report card format
Lastly, we have included less information about PTH in our handbook as PTH now has a separate handbook, also available on the school website.
Please let us know if you have any questions or would like a printed handbook and did not receive one.
Chapel News
Thank you to our students for your generous chapel donations. During the month of September, students donated $257.77 towards the fire victims in Eastern Washington via the church in Tonasket. From ongoing chapel donations, we included an additional amount to bring this to a $500 donation.
During October, chapel funds will be donated to help families in our local community and worldwide who need food and supplies, as well as resources that empower people to meet their own needs, through Church world Service in conjunction with the October 4 CROPWALK.
PTH General Assembly – Tomorrow Wednesday, October 7 Come meet your PTH Board and learn about some of the exciting things planned for this school year, PIP opportunities, and more. The event will begin at 6:30 pm in the Multipurpose Room on the 2nd floor with a dessert & coffee time (please bring your favorite dessert to share, coffee will be provided). The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm. All attendees will be entered into a drawing for a prize AND earn PIP for attending! For those with younger children, childcare will be available from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Street side parking may be available as well as in the lot just southwest of the school on 42nd Ave. SW
Book Fair Is Here!
We need your help to promote literacy and earn library funds for our school. You can be a part of our Book Fair in many ways. Come and purchase books for kids, grandkids, and yourself! Purchase books from your child’s classroom “wish list”.
The fair will be open after school THIS week and during our parent/teacher conferences. Dates and Hours: Oct. 6th & 7th, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM, Oct. 8th 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Oct. 9th 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
School Pictures – October 13 – Order Online
Parents our picture ID number with Lifetouch is LS115363Q0. Simplify Picture Day by ordering online at mylifetouch.com. No need to send cash or flyer back to school when you order online. See more options available online and you can use a credit card or PayPal on their secure site.
Hope Lutheran School’s Fall Frolic – October 24
Parents and Teachers of Hope invite Hope Lutheran Church and School families to their fall dance celebration, featuring games, crafts, face painting, pizza, contests, and more!
Saturday, October 24 at T5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Seattle Lutheran High School Gym. Ticket presale begins today and runs through Friday, October 16. Admission is just $10 per child (ages 3 and up) and includes five (5) activity tickets. Accompanied adults and kids under 3 are free! Please see the school office for forms to pay by check or cash and drop off at the school. Presale tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event.
Admission tickets may also be purchased at the door on the night of the event; however they will only include two (2) activity tickets. Additional activity tickets will be available for sale. So, make plans to purchase yours by October 16!
More event details may be found by visiting the Events page here.
From Admissions:
Hope school would like to welcome the following families to our Hope family: The Bodmer family (Aidan in P3), The Gosztola family (Lachlan in P4), the Burton family (Gus in 8th grade), and the Buckley family (Luke in 6th grade). Please join me in welcoming them to our school! Hope will be hosting a Kindergarten Information night on November 3rd as well as an All School Open House November 17th. Look for more information to come out in a few weeks, but feel free to pass along those dates to anyone looking for new educational opportunities for their children. Referrals from our Hope families continue to be an integral part of our growth as a school. Check out our referral program for more information.
Parent Involvement Program Opportunities – Click Here
Book Fair – Oct. 6 – 9
After School Club Volunteers needed
Auction help
Fall Frolic – October 24