From the Principal

Many months of the school year include a non-student day for staff professional development. This is a critical time for teachers and other staff to work together to plan for instruction including improvements. Each non-student day is planned in advance according to our School Improvement Plan (SIP) which is organized by the four goal areas we are focusing on. We appreciate so much these regular opportunities to examine what we are doing instructionally, and to learn and improve together!

On October 10th we will be devoting much of our time discussing our new math curriculum including sharing our experiences so far, identifying problems and working on solutions. As I’ve shared at MIT, my coffee hour, and in other conversations – we are working hard to learn this curriculum as quickly as possible and to integrate it in our multi-age setting. We have taken beginning steps and teachers are reporting aspects that are successful as well as challenges they are encountering. What you can count on from us is a professional, thoughtful and focused effort to work with this new curriculum. What we need from you is some patience as we work out the kinks and problem-solve along the way. We know that this expressly graded curriculum looks “different” from our multi-age practices (hence some of the challenge) – but we are dedicated to finding out how to integrate the two for the benefit of our students. I couldn’t be more proud of the collaboration and many hours of dedication our teachers are giving to this work, and our focus is clear – improved instruction and student success.

Speaking of goals – as you undoubtedly know, our “Umbrella Goal” this year is a study of the importance of nurturing creativity as an important aptitude for the 21st Century. The first hour of our MIT meeting in October is an opportunity for a shared discussion about creativity based on a provocative media piece our staff viewed together featuring Sir Ken Robinson last spring. As a result of viewing this clip we read his book “Out of Our Minds, Learning To Be Creative” this summer and we will be exploring creativity and how to foster it with students throughout the year. Several of our staff members have agreed to attend this meeting and watch Sir Ken again with you. I hope you will join us and share in this conversation at MIT on Tuesday, October 14th @ 7:00 PM.

Finally, at the end of this busy month comes our annual opportunity to talk with parents about their student(s) during the Parent/Teacher Conference Week – October 27 – 31st. Please remember that there will be early dismissals each day @ 12:20 for all students. If your child will be having a different-than-ususal plan for transportation during this week – it is really important that you let his/her teacher know.

I hope you are enjoying the return to the familiar routines that the school year brings. Happy to fall! – Lynda

Coffee with Lynda and Craig

Come join Lynda & Craig in the Library (Oct. 29th at 9:15 AM) to discuss anything & everything that comes to mind. In September we ranged from the K-5 math curriculum to safety & parking lot issues, to the future of our building. It’s a great opportunity to sit & chat, & meet new folks. Families are welcome to bring their little ones. The bad news is that we aren’t able to provide childcare at these sessions. There’s nobody else in the library at that time, so a squirmy toddler would not be considered disruptive or unwelcome. – Linda Hood

MIT Co-Chair’s Corner

Math and Creativity

Over the past several weeks I’ve heard criticism and appreciation voiced for the new math curriculum in conversations around our school. From those, I’ve gathered that we want our children to be both knowledgeable about the fundamental building blocks of mathematical thinking and that we want them to integrate mathematics as a “language” for expressing thought; we want the material to be both challenging and confidence inspiring. It would be easy to create a polarity such that the former (constructivist) curriculum represents creativity and the “new” (more traditional) math program represents a rigid adherence to drilling and repetition, but I think that simplicity is deceptive.

I notice I have mixed feelings around what little I’ve seen of the published math materials, mostly stemming from fears that our children will be bored by too much “busy work” whose relevance isn’t apparent to them. But on the other hand, I wonder about my desire for my children to live in the womb of constant challenge and intellectual stimulation. When I entered the workforce I was pretty shocked to realize that mastery of my simple job tasks didn’t result in immediate new challenges. There has recently been a cultural debate about overscheduling kids with extracurriculars; while I don’t dispute the necessity of unscheduled time for spontaneous play, I wonder if some relaxation and integration can additionally occur during lessons in which they are doing repetitive tasks. Often creative ideas come to me when I am doing some otherwise “mundane” task. Perhaps our task is to redefine “boring” for and with our children. Despite my negative current associations with repetition, I can remember I often played “school” with my friends after school, and we would give each other easy spelling and math problems to practice. I believe this role-playing lent itself to both integration and confidence building.

The October 14th M.I.T. meeting will highlight a brief video by Sir Ken Robinson to open up discussion on creativity in education. His talk is both highly entertaining and informative. I think that his investigation of what it means to be creative can take us beyond drawing hard lines between creative vs. academic thought to a discussion of how our children can learn both. As he so deftly points out in his book Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative, “Discovery in science often results from unexpected leaps of imagination: the sudden jumping of a logical gap, in which the solution to a problem is illuminated by a new insight, a new association of ideas, or a vision of unforeseen possibilities. There is a point in scientific inquiry where logic is not the best instrument. Many of the great discoveries were made intuitively.”

I can also attest to his declaration that creativity even in the arts is based on a lot of foundational hard work, perfecting the medium. Much of my time as a singer was spent practicing scales, turns of phrase, difficult technical passages or tone qualities in order to better express a character or idea when the finished product was put together. Conversely, in an accounting position I was promoted in large part for the efficiency and organization which resulted from a burst of creative insight around how to redesign my daily planning spreadsheet. This insight enabled me to prioritize multiple variables and put them on a cyclical schedule for better time management.

I look forward to learning more about the math curriculum and the challenges to its successful application in a multi-age, self-paced environment as the year progresses; if it continues to be a hot topic, I will do my best to investigate both sides with an open mind and let you know what I discover. - Erika Jennings, empathic_negotiation@hotmail.com

Treasurer’s Report October 2008

September is the most exciting month of the school year for the MIT treasurer, closely followed by June. These 2 months are the time when we collect the most money from different sources, and spend it like crazy. In September we buy school supplies, the teachers plan their field trips for the year, and MIT starts collecting money from families to pay for these and many more events and activities. In June we have parties, parties, parties, which require lots of donations, coordination and checks. I am therefore happy to inform all of you that September has come to an end, and so has the flood of checks and check requests.

The 2007-2008 school year closed with about $10,000 in “profit”. This was due to the fact that some teachers did not spend their entire allocation during the year, as well as to the success of All for Kids, the 100% deductible fundraising arm of MIT. One of the major contributors to this success was corporate matching donations that came from families who elected the so-called $200 Option in Summit and Epi Centers last year.

This year Summit and Tri are testing the option again, but we’re calling the Lump Sum Payment, or Single Payment, option, since the amounts we’re collecting are different between Intermediate and Primary centers. So far, Summit Center has 75% of families opting to write a single check intended to pay for all their kids’ activities throughout the year. The option requires a lot more planning and time commitment on the part of teachers and the classroom coordinator or treasurer, and until we are confident that we have all the kinks out, we will move slowly forward in making it available for all classrooms.

So many of the special activities at our school could never happen without your generosity and commitment to our children’s education. Because of the unsure financial times that we face, we are so fortunate at our school to have generous families with generous employers who will match donations. Those of you who regularly purchase scrip, or plan to do so, are contributing a huge portion of our budget. And thank you for buying and/or selling the Innisbrook products that contribute almost a third of our budget every year. It is wonderful to see so many faces in the halls and classrooms, helping our community be a positive influence in our children’s lives. – Linda Hood

MIT Business Meetings - 2008-09 School Year

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be held  in the library at 7:00 PM

• October 14th (Tues)
• November 13th (Thur)
• December 11th (Thur)
• January 20th (Tues)
• February 18th (Wed)
• March 24th (Tues)
• April 14th (Tues)
• May 12th (Tues)
• June 9th (Tues)

Attribute of Character for October

Responsibility

”It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.” - John Baptiste Moliére

 “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” - Josiah Charles Stamp

ATTENTION DRIVERS

Please remember to be courteous and respectful in the parking lot.  Drive Slowly and Carefully!

Madrona Integrated Team

Let’s “GO BANANAS” And Help Our School!

Our Fall Innisbrook Wraps Fundraiser is going on now! Let’s all “Swing into Action” and make this a great 2008! WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME WAY! + Corporate Opportunities ~ Innisbrook’s 2008 Premier Collection offers several opportunities to order Holiday gifts for employees and clients. A great way to Say “Thank You” with Gifts and Chocolate from Innisbrook and Support Our School! Corporate forms are in the Family Room and @ www.madronabearfacts.com.

 Thank You! – Tamara Becker

What is Bear Scare?

Bear Scare is Madrona’s Halloween extravaganza! Goblins--big and small come out to see the goodies, crafts and the haunted house! Let’s not forget pizza too!

Mark your calendar and save Saturday, October 25th 6:00PM to 8:00PM for Bear Scare!

Let’s make this year’s Bear Scare another event to remember. It all happens because of parent volunteers. If you want to join in the fun, please call me at (425)745-9845 or email me at ken.seubert@verizon.net .

There will be lots to discuss and to do at the meeting. We will need lots of help and ideas. We are considering ways to reduce the amount of candy given out and also ways to include children with food allergies in the food crafts. There is a website that we will be drawing inspiration from, www.greenhalloween.org. I wish to encourage all parents to check out the website for some really great ideas.

Some changes this year-- The admission will be $3 per child/student. All adults and middle school volunteers will be free.

And it is also important to note that all children and older students must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. This includes intermediate and middle school students. No drop offs, please. We want to keep this as family safe evening as possible.

Can’t wait to see all of you at Bear Scare!

 - Felicia Seubert

Bear Facts Web Team Assembled

I’m excited to announce the creation of a new team of people who are committed to bring parents, students and teachers all the information they need about the Madrona community. After developing the new look and feel of the site a few years ago, it was clear the breadth of content that was being offered was way too much for one person to handle. When the call for help was sounded at the end of last year, I was overwhelmed with the response from parents and teachers alike willing to step forward to contribute. We’re now to the point of enacting a deployment plan that will insure timely publication of the weekly Notes from the Office, and the monthly Bear Facts Newsletter. That means if you didn’t have the chance to read the hard copy, or if it got lost in your kid’s backpack -- or if you just want to check the date of the next concert -- it’s all there, anytime and anywhere you have access to the internet (work, home - even on your mobile). If you’re new to Madrona, please check it out (www.madronabearfacts.com ). You’ll find beyond the school announcements, there is an online calendar, detailed emergency/snow-closure instructions, as well as information on the various fundraising efforts (you can even buy your SCRIP online with a credit card). Please join me in thanking and welcoming our new team: Lori Elliott, J.Paul Fridenmaker, Dana Nakashima, Chris Steed, with staff support from Monica Edwards and Brad Proffitt. If you have any suggestions of any content you’d like to see on the site, just drop us a note at info@madronabearfacts.com.

 -Allan Townsend, MIT Communications Director

Staff Star

Amy Johnson is a new teacher to Madrona. She began teaching in the EPI Center last year as Vicki went on leave, and continues with us for this school year. Amy brings tremendous enthusiasm and passion to her work with students. When asked why she chose to become a teacher she responded, “I think children are the key to improving the world.” Amy’s favorite aspect of Madrona is our focus on character education. When she’s not at school she is hiking, camping and traveling with her husband. We are so happy to have Amy with us this year!

Citizen Planning Committee

The Citizen Planning Committee (CPC) is the Edmonds School District Advisory group that meets monthly to discuss and help make recommendations on District wide issues. Each school has a representative and is expected to attend a general meeting as well as

belonging to a subcommittee dealing with specific areas: Education, Operations and Boundaries and Enrollment. I am part of the Operations group. Here is a summary of the September 8 meeting:

 Food Service – Sara Conroy, Interim Director of Food Services, provided an explanation for the increase in student lunch prices this year. Food and supply expenses went up much more than anticipated last year. Food service prices have not increased since 2003/2004. The Food Service department is an “Enterprise Program” in the district, which means they are self supporting and do not receive funds from the Edmonds School District general fund. They are required to provide 5% of all income back to the district to cover general expenses. Additionally, the policy on student IOU’s has been tightened significantly due to a dramatic increase in unrecovered debt. Note: A new policy on student IOU’s has been implemented effective Oct. 1-all parents should receive this policy update in the mail and is available on the District web page.

Subcommittee Work for 2008-2009

Boundaries & Enrollment –

They are charged with studying and developing a detailed plan for the consolidation of Woodway Elementary for 2009-2010, Evergreen Elementary for 2009-2010 and of the Terrace Park Middle School (7th & 8th grades only) for 2009-2010. These require final approval by the School Board by December 9, 2008.

Education –

This committee will be looking at student progress reporting in light of parents need for information and the work/time expectations for teachers; an alternative calendar for non-student professional development days; the District Improvement Plan (DIP) as it relates to Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals; and will be looking at models for a middle school gifted student program.

Transportation (formerly known as Operations) –

This committee will be studying cost efficiencies in choice school transportation (this is Madrona and Maplewood schools), with a recommendation due to the school board by December 9, 2008; re-evaluating safe walking routes for students living within one mile of their school (thus changing and/or eliminating bus routes); assessing the implementation of the school start time changes for 2008-2009. – Kory DeMun

Bad News!!! Campbell Soup Labels

This is the part of the label to cut & save.

I’ve had to throw away many soup labels since the UPC was not included. The UPC is the only part that is needed. Please don’t give up – keep collecting. Remember to include the UPC! Your efforts directly support our school’s health & fitness department. - Tracy Langlie

WaMu School Savings

 The School Savings Program is continuing at Madrona, even though WAMU won't be the bank anymore. The accounts will now be with Chase, the interest rate will be the same, for now. EVERYTHING IS THE SAME. Also - there will not be a bank day on Monday, Oct. 20th.

 – Susan Christian

ATTENTION DRIVERS

Please be respectful of our neighbors. Drop off and pick up your child in the parking lot, and not on the street!

Madrona Parent Emergency Information

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS AT SCHOOL DURING AN EMERGENCY

General information:

School is the best place for your child in an emergency Teachers and administrators are trained and prepared for emergencies Madrona has an emergency plan and water & food on hand Each teacher is assigned to a specific job during an emergency (e.g. first aid, child care, security, etc.) Our school is connected to the School District via 900 MHz radio and analog phone

If an emergency occurs at school, the teachers and staff will:

Evacuate the children from the school and take them to the field area by the track. Take attendance Put up security barriers to limit/direct vehicle traffic Report to the Command Center and then go to their assigned jobs

Your child/children should:

Stay at school. We do not want them to walk home to check on you or a pet. School is the safest place for them during an emergency. Please tell your child to stay at school. Time spent trying to find a child who has left the campus will take time and energy away from locating someone who is trapped or injured. Stay with their Center/Classroom (We need to be able to constantly account for all of the children)

Parents should:

Keep the phone lines clear. Please do not attempt to call the school. Teachers and staff will be working to ensure the safety of the children and will not be available to talk to parents Check the district web page for updates www.edmonds.wednet.edu The Web page will be updated as often as possible Listen to the following radio/television stations for information:

AM: KIRO 710, KIXI 880, KOMO 1000, KYCW 1090, KRKO 1380, KCIS 630

FM: KPLU 88.5, KSER 90.7, KLSY 92.5, KUBE 93.3, KMPS 94.1, KBSG 97.3, KMTT 103.7, KCMS 105.3, KRWM106.9

TV: Stations 4, 5, 6, 7, 13

Learn the school evacuation procedures so that you can help if you are at school

If you feel you have to pick up your child at school, you should:

Bring your identification – teachers/staff will not release a child to an adult without identification, nor will they release children to adults (other than parents) without that adult’s name being designated on the child’s emergency release form (Update that form today!!) Be patient Enter the school bus drive lane via the exit and drive along the bus curb towards the flag School staff will be at the flag with the children’s paperwork Children will not be released from the field Please do not take your child without checking out with school personnel

BE PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY

If you are at school during an emergency

Make sure that you know the evacuation procedures for different areas of the school Evacuation plans are on display in every classroom/center or you can ask your child’s teacher Please help get the children safely out of the building Report to the Principal or Assistant Principal to see if you can be of further help – especially if you have special skills (e.g. Doctor, Nurse, EMT, Fire Fighter, Social Worker, etc.)

Madrona Parent Emergency Information

• Update your Emergency Release Form and have necessary medications available
• You must have a current Emergency Release Form on file in the Madrona Office
• Madrona personnel will not release your child to anyone who is not listed on your Emergency Release Form
• A phone call will not be acceptable in an emergency situation
• Choose a parent who lives near you or has a child in your child’s center
• Form a neighborhood carpool with several names listed as emergency contacts
• If your child takes medication, please make sure that the office has at least a 72 hour supply and that there are detailed instructions about how to dispense the medications.

Begin home and work preparations

Ensure you have enough food and water ready for your family (pets, too) for 72 hours Set up an earthquake/emergency kit Put a first aid kit in your home and your car Secure all large cabinets and bookcases to the wall so that they don’t fall Secure your water heater to the wall Keep an emergency supply of all family medications Designate an out-of-town contact for your family Consider taking an emergency first aid or emergency preparedness class Attend City Safety Fairs Organize your neighborhood – encourage everyone to prepare!

For more information

Visit the web sites below to get ideas and information about emergency preparedness

• United States Department of Homeland Security
  • http://www.ready.gov/
• United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  • http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
• Washington State Ad Campaign 3 ways, 3 days
  • http://www.threewaysthreedays.com/
• American Red Cross National and Snohomish County
  • http://www.redcross.org/ and http://www.snohomishcounty.redcross.org/
• Emergency Services Coordinating Agency (Emergency training classes available)
  • http://www.esca1.com/index.htm

DO SOMETHING TODAY TO PREPARE!

 MADRONA SAFETY COMMITTEE 2008-2009 SCHEDULE

Safety Committee meetings will be on the following Thursday mornings at 9:00 in the conference room adjacent to the Main Office:

• 12/4/09
• 1/8/09
• 2/5/09
• 3/5/09
• 4/9/09
• 5/7/09

The safety meetings are held during the school day to accommodate the teachers and staff on the committee, and we understand that some parents may not be able to attend so we also encourage those parents to attend evening MIT meetings. MIT meetings are another way to learn about the school (especially if you are a new parent) and talk about safety concerns. MIT always welcomes new perspectives and ideas. If you have a concern, we strongly encourage you to attend either a regular Safety Committee meeting, an MIT meeting, or talk to an MIT Board member.

All of our meetings are open to the Madrona community. We talk about emergency & day to day situations, & no topic is off limits. This year our main goal is to finalize our emergency preparations. - Ellen Ernst, Madrona Safety Committee

Important Info

Providing school meals and being fiscally responsible

Dear Edmonds School District Community:

Thank you so much for your efforts and contributions to the successful start of our 2008-09 school year! In whatever capacity you have contributed, your interest and support of our students has made a difference. That is why we would like to make sure you have facts regarding a change we have made concerning IOUs and our Food Services Department.

We have set a limit to the amount of money an individual student can owe for school meals. That limit is now $10. At the start of this school year, we had just over $200,000 in accumulated debt for unpaid meals for nearly 2,000 students from the 2007-08 school year. Communication to these families occurred last school year, over the summer, and now at the start of the current school year. This communication has included mailed letters and voicemails. The parent letter can found at http://www.edmonds.wednet.edu/menus/0809FSletter.pdf

We feel strongly this is neither the fault nor the responsibility of any child. Providing healthy and nutritious meals is and will always be our goal and 10,000 breakfasts and lunches are served daily at 34 schools. We are trying to strike a balance between compassion and our fiscal responsibility to all taxpayers and parents to operate our food program as a break-even operation. This does not have to do with the budget reductions we have made or may be making. The Food Service Program operates separate from the General Fund.

We are continuing to recoup the funds owed to food service and are seeing success, with approximately 25 percent of the total amount owed repaid in the first five days school has been in session. As of the start of this school year, we have 1,747 students approved for free or reduced meals (1,115 free; 632 reduced). This is a significant increase over the number last year at this time.

A student whose account is beyond the $10 maximum (they can receive three full lunches before reaching the maximum), is receiving either a cheese sandwich at lunch or a muffin at breakfast. If that child brings money for that day’s meal or meals they are provided the full meal options. We are continuing to closely monitor this at each building and principals are making plans to work confidentially with the households that remain to carry forward balances to ensure any steps that can be taken to assist the families with ways they can address this debt.

Prior to the 2004-05 school year, no amount of money could be owed; IOUs were not accepted. Secondary age students with no money for that day’s meal received no food; a sandwich was provided to elementary students. Beginning with the 2004-05 school year, we established an Emergency Feeding Program that allowed for IOUs, and have seen a steady increase in the number of unpaid meals at the end of each school year. That could not continue. We are delicately and compassionately as possible taking the steps outlined above to ensure we can continue to operate a fiscally responsible model for all students, families, and taxpayers.

We welcome any questions or thoughts you have on this and appreciate your continued efforts to support and as importantly, understand what the District is doing to support all students. If you have questions, please contact Marla Miller (millerm@edmonds.wednet.edu or 425-431-7036) or Sara Conroy (conroys@edmonds.wednet.edu or 425-43-7076). - Debbie Joyce Jakala, Community Relations

More Info

Madrona Enrichment Past, Present & Future

In the fall of 2002, a group of parents and teachers made a proposal to the MIT to begin funding Enrichment Activities (EAs). EAs were intended to complement existing curriculum and expand learning opportunities. They aspired to reach all age/grade levels and recognize our students varied needs. This was the beginning of what is now a successful before and after school program.

In order to continually grow our program, we need to remember why we started Enrichment Activities.

1.       EA’s extend our school day. This is especially relevant with regard to academic achievement.

2.        EA’s expand our school community. Many parents and teachers have valuable resources, interests and hobbies that our children can learn from.

3.       EA’s increase meaningful contact with a variety of caring adults.

4.       EA’s foster contact and teamwork between all members of MIT.

Several parents have recently expressed an interest in facilitating or co-facilitating EAs. Some ideas from the past years have been: cooking, sports, art, etiquette, study clubs, reading groups, ASL, knitting, math clubs, drama club, jewelry making, scrapbooking, music, as well as others.

What hobbies are you involved in? What are you interested in? Do you have one activity and an hour or so (before or after school) to share with a group of kids? The Enrichment Committee is inviting you to share your time with our kids. We are always accepting proposals from any interested parties. If you are interested in facilitating a class, please contact Lisa Miller at brettlisa@comcast.net to request a proposal form. (Adapted and revised from Dave Hibbs).

ATTENTION PARENTS

Please remember to wear your ID badge EVERY TIME you are on campus. If you do not have a badge, please sign in at the Main Office.

Science Materials Center

Edmonds School District’s Science Materials Center is looking for volunteers to assist with refurbishment of our Elementary Science Kits. At the Science Materials Center, we prepare and deliver over 350 science kits to our elementary schools each trimester. Please share this volunteer opportunity with your booster club members. This is a great way to help teachers and students. If you’d like we can provide an ad for your Booster Club Newsletter. The Science Materials Center is located at the Old Woodway High School. Please contact Lenni Evans, (425) 431-4715 for more information. Thank you for your help.

The Science Materials Center is collecting 2 Liter Pop Bottles for science kits. This will be an ongoing effort. Thousands of bottles are needed for science kits. Please save bottles/lids from your school activities. Please rinse bottles, place in bags marked SCIENCE @ FWH and take to your school for the office manager to put on the school district mail run. We can provide a Newsletter ad for the bottles too. Thank you, Lenni Evans, Edmonds School District Science Materials Center @FWH (425) 431-4715

Yearbook Sale

2008-2009 Madrona Yearbooks will go on sale in December. This year’s book will be hard-back, full color cover. Price will be approximately $20.00. Yearbook DVD prices will be approximately $7.00

Simple Ideas to Go Green this Halloween – the Eek-O-Friendly Revolution!

If your family celebrates Halloween, thinking outside the conventional candy box is easy and affordable! Consider going candy-free by handing out “treasures or choose healthier options! Great Green goodies include: honey sticks, 100% fruit leather, polished rocks and stones, stickers, soy or beeswax crayons, seed packets, play dough, organic candy and/or fair trade chocolate, feathers (believe it or not a favorite with toddlers to teens)! Don't forget to use a reusable bag for Trick or Treating! We will be incorporating “GREEN” ideas into Bear Scare this year! For more great “green” info go to www.greenhalloween.org. - Kim Magana

Responsibility

Use the six E’s to teach about responsibility.

You can help your child develop the trait of responsibility by using the six E’s:

Explain it. Talk about what responsibility means. Give some examples. Examine it. Look for examples of responsibility. Did a character on a TV show take responsibility for his actions? Point it out and talk about it. Exhibit it. Your personal example is still the strongest way you teach. Encourage it. Help your child think about ways she can be responsible. She could pick up her room every day. Be sure you notice and praise her. When she does her homework without nagging, say something. Expect it. Set rules and consequences. Now that she knows what you expect, make sure she follows through. Make sure there are consequences if she doesn’t. Evaluate it. How is she doing? After a few weeks, talk again. - Thomas Lickona, Character Matters

ASB News

On Monday, Sept. 22nd, Madrona students elected the following students to lead ASB this year. Alec Sakoi - President, Harrison Baxter - Vice-President, Jackson Fair - Treasurer, and Emily Craig - Secretary. Congratulations to our new officers and special thanks to all those who fearlessly put their name forward to serve Madrona School. We hope you will continue to participate as a class rep. so you can bring forward some of those great ideas you told us about in your campaign speeches.

ASB meetings are held at 2:30 p.m. on alternating Tuesdays throughout the school year. If you have an idea to bring to the ASB, please contact Ms. Stephenson to put you on the agenda for the next ASB meeting. We look forward to an active, productive year. – BJ Stephenson

Coming Soon!  Wintergreens Fundraiser

Sale dates: October 8th - November 6th

The holidays are coming quick and it is almost time to order your beautiful Wreaths and Garlands! They usually go home the day before Thanksgiving so you can have a full month of enjoyment from them.

Look for information and order packets with your children’s Wednesday mail on October 8th!

Africa America Exchange Club

All students ages 10+ are invited to join Ms. Stephenson for lunch, 1:10 p.m., on October 8th on the stage for the first meeting of the year of the AAX Club. We will discuss electing officers to lead this year's efforts. – BJ Stephenson

Notes from the Music Room

Since Madrona Intermediate General Music is a unique project-based program, here is a brief description of the process. Students are invited to choose 3 projects per trimester from a menu of 10 choices. They are: beg. Piano, beg. Guitar, beg. Recorder, ensemble of pitched/non-pitched percussion, sound stories, instrument building, exploring music on the computer, music theory, composition and research reports. Students can work independently or in groups with facilitation from the teacher and their peers. They are expected to plan and reflect on their experiences using journals and rubrics. Journals are sent home approximately every 2 weeks for parent signature. The exploratory nature of this class allows students to have a wide range of musical experiences & creative opportunities. This is an exciting experience for all of us and has grown over the 4 years I have been at Madrona. With the large numbers in these 4 classes, meeting M/W and T/Th at 11:10-11:40; 11:50-12:20 I would LOVE to have some adult assistance - any musicians out there who'd like to help? Let Ms. Jensen know - ext. 2921 or email.

 - Barb Jensen, Vocal/General Music

Northwest Choirs Holds Girls Auditions

The Northwest Choirs will hold auditions for its Girls Prep program on Saturday, Oct. 11. Girls Prep is a two-year training program to prepare seventh and eighth girls for Vocalpoint! Seattle. Call 206-524-3234 for an audition appointment or visit www.nwchoirs.org. Thank you for your support! - Maria Johnson, Exec Director nwc@northwestchoirs.org

IB Program

The deadline for all 8th grade students to get into the IB program is November 28, 2008. You can find the web site by going to the district web site (www.edmonds.wednet.edu) ...they call it "other programs" to get the packet and start gathering the info they need. Thanks - Bonnie Senter

“Battle of the Best Books” Club

Do you love to read? Want to try some new authors? Love to be a part of a team? "Battle of the Best Books" Club is starting soon! First information meeting will be during second recess on Friday Oct. 17, in the library. Open for third thru sixth graders. (parents welcome to join the fun.) Email Cheryl Kaler at ckaler5@yahoo.com for more information. See you there! - Cheryl Kaler

Center News

Epicenter

Welcome to an exciting new school year in the Epicenter! This past month students began their Reading Olympics Program which is now in full swing. They are busily working on earning their Olympic medals. This is a program that will be ongoing throughout the school year.

As a result of the new math curriculum at Madrona, the Epicenter is host to 4th grade math this year! M, Amy, students, and parents alike are working on learning the new math “language”. Please remember it is a huge learning curve for all involved and try to be patient. If you haven’t done so already, visit the Epicenter’s class website. There is a wealth of information available there. It is an invaluable resource for parents!

As Epicenter’s Bear Facts writer, I would like to give students the opportunity to write for the newsletter. Please ask your student if they are interested in writing as M, Amy, and I are trying to put together a plan of action to encourage their participation in future issues. - Tiffany Langager

Ohana

Bear Scare: October is here...my favorite month of the year! What does October bring? Pumpkins, bats, black cats and Halloween!! Three weeks until the Bear Scare...see you there. Please mark your calendars for Oct. 25th.

Journaling: At the beginning of the year everyone in the Ohana center received a writing journal. We use the journals to keep lists & write stories. The 2nd & 3rd graders' project during the week of September 29th was to bring in a few of their favorite photographs & write a story about them. We then shared the stories with others. It was a fun!

Art: On Oct. 3rd, the Ohana Center enjoyed working on a fun art project. We were given seashells and told to glue them on paper. We could place them on the paper randomly or we could make special designs. We finished our project and now our classroom volunteers are going to glue all of our pieces together and make a mosaic. We are excited to see how that turns out.

Field Trip: On Oct. 15th, Ohana will go on a field trip. We are going to the Seattle Children's Theatre & will see the play "Blue Nose." SCT's web site describes this play as "a rollicking pirate drama about a trio of pirates and the blue-nosed girl they encounter." Jeanice says "I've been to many of SCT's productions and the acting is always great!" The fee for the field trip is $11.50. We will be leaving school at 10:10 am and will return by 1:30 pm. Don't forget to bring a jacket and a cold lunch, packed in a paper sack and clearly labeled with your name. - Ohana student, Ryan K. Berry

SND

Substitute extraodinaire, Pete Annas, helps Ozan count his coins during bank and store

Elle, Isabel & Meredith vie for clean cubby awards on Friday afternoon.

Soren serves as banker during the first Bank & Store of the year. Several customers await to pick up their money. This is one bank that won’t be going out of business any time soon! – Monica Edwards

Just For Fun

The Bear Market

Madrona’s own “classified ads!”

If you’ve got something to sell, or a service to provide, post it here! Sorry – no business advertising. Send ads for “The Bear Market” by the end of each month to: nancykaris@comcast.net

Bear Facts Newsletter

Many thanks to all who contributed to this newsletter! It’s your articles that keep this newsletter interesting! If you have something you’d like me to post (dates, photos, news, events, etc), or if you’d like to be added or removed from my email list, contact me at nancykaris@comcast.net. My deadline for the November issue is November 1. - Nancy Karis

Lynnwood Student Showcase 2009

The City of Lynnwood Arts Commission, Lynnwood Rotary and Alderwood are looking for Middle and High School aged students within the Edmonds School District Boundaries (private and home school included) to perform in our 4th Annual Student Showcase on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at Alderwood Mall.

We are looking for applications from students wanting to perform. This is a great opportunity for students to perform in Lynnwood! Scholarship money for performers!

For more info, visit www.LynnwoodArts.org.

Register Online: http://reconnect.ci.lynnwood.wa.us

- Jacquelynn Mu'min, jmumin@ci.lynnwood.wa.us Marketing and Events Intern City of Lynnwood

 Parks Recreation & Cultural Arts Department

Did You Know?...

"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, & hazardous.

Madrona Cooks!

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 muffins. - Ellie Krieger, Food Network

2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses 1/4 cup canola oil 2 large eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk 1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, molasses, oil and 1 egg until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.

Submit recipes to: nancykaris@comcast.net

The Back Page

 Important dates and events to remember…

Save The Date!

• Oct 8 Africa America Exchange Club
• Oct 10 Non-student day
• Oct 13 Columbus Day
• Oct 13 Innisbrook Deadline
• Oct 14 MIT Meeting 7PM
• Oct 15-17 Middle School Camp Orkila
• Oct 20 No WaMu School Banking this day
• Oct 24 Madrona’s Vineyard
• Oct 25 Bear Scare (Saturday)
• Oct 27-31 Early dismissal/Parent conferences
• Oct 29 Coffee with Lynda & Craig
• Oct 31 Halloween
• Nov 1 Deadline for November Bear Facts
• Nov 2 Daylight savings time ends
• Nov 6 Safety Committee meeting
• Nov 7 Non-student day
• Nov 11 Veteran’s Day – no school
• Nov 13 MIT Meeting 7PM
• Nov 21 Coffee with Lynda & Craig
• Nov 21 Madrona’s Vineyard
• Nov 27-28 Thanksgiving Break

Scrip News

The September scrip sales are off to a great start! It’s great to see a lot of new faces purchasing scrip. Pass the word around to your friends & family about how easy it is to buy gift cards and support Madrona at the same time. Our goal is $14,000.00 this year!

Some of the new cards this year are PCC Market, PetSmart, and Payless Shoes. PCC is a reloadable card, so you only need to buy one! Madrona gets a check twice a year – 5% of the amount reloaded.

Shop the scrip table outside the office Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00-9:30 or drop your order off in the office. You can either pick your order up at the office, the scrip table, or it can be sent home with your child. You can also order on-line through the Bear Facts website and pay with VISA (a fee is added to the), check or PayPal. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Park at (425) 672-9485 or labpark@comcast.net.

Safeway Card Holders: Please sign up your club card at www.escrip.com. Madrona gets a percentage each month based on what you buy. Also, we have Safeway Scrip cards, so stop by and pick up a card before you do your grocery shopping!

Albertsons’ Shoppers: Please sign your Albertsons Community Partner card at www.albertsons.com. Madrona receives a percentage of your purchases. We also have scrip for Albertson’s, so purchase a card before shopping.

 – Linda Park