Meriwether Lewis Elementary School » School Info

Community Care Day August 28, 2010…

Mr. Lauer — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:48:47 +0000

We could really use some help keeping up on the summer garden maintenance so, mark your calendars!

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Saturday, August 28th 9am-12pm – Community Care Day – Clean-up front of school (entryway and parking lot areas)

If you are planning to attend one or both of the above events, please RSVP to lewislearninggardens@gmail.com so that we can get an idea of how many volunteers to expect.

If you are not available either of these days, but would like to volunteer an hour or two of your time to weed and tend to the vegetable beds at the school, please let me know. I will be at the school from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm everyday this week for Camp Invention (July 19-23rd) and I could take a few moments to show you an area to focus on and give you some tools to use.

If you have any questions, please contact Julia Hamlin at lewislearninggardens@gmail.com

Summer Office Hours

Mr. Lauer — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:36:40 +0000

The office will be closed from July 1 – August 20
Summer Registration
Between July 1 and August 20, please
call 503-916-3205 to register a student for Fall 2010.

July 12 Garden Work: Thank you Volunteers!

Mr. Lauer — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:22:13 +0000

The Lewis Garden

Today we held a garden work party that concentrated our efforts on the Butterfly Garden near the west side entrance to the school. We had a great turn out and would like to thank our volunteer parents and students for coming out and helping with this project.

We have hosted three previous work parties where we weeded and planted the eastside garden bed (outside of Debbie Keefer and Sylvia Jen’s classrooms), removed the invasive species of morning glory from the northwest corner of the outdoor center next to the Western Red Cedar tree, and dug out a patch of blackberries behind the old cob bench next to the entrance to the garden through the school. Thank you to everyone that has volunteered their time during these work parties to help with these projects.

Community Care Day, Saturday, August 28, 2010 9:00 am to Noon... Mark your calendars.

Hot Compost Bin Construction

Mr. Lauer — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:44:30 +0000

Our Hot Compost Bin project was started in May and researched by Mrs. Gould’s 5th grade class. Parent and carpenter, Kevin Cunningham, volunteered to lead the construction of the two new 3-bin hot compost structures. Each fifth grader from Mrs. Gould’s class had a chance to assist with the construction in June. Kevin and his two boys, Terrell and Nick, returned to the school throughout the following two weeks to finish the project. Thank you Kevin, Terrell and Nick for your generous contribution to the Lewis Garden! The two new compost structures are now complete and ready for use.

Evergreen Street Tree Planting Project

Mr. Lauer — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:14:06 +0000

The southeast corner of Lewis Elementary School is covered in over 15,000 square feet of impervious surface including the parking lot and sidewalk areas. Over the last year we have been researching and requesting funds to embark on a parking lot retrofit at Lewis School to responsibly manage stormwater runoff, enhance the appearance of the existing landscape, provide shade to reduce hard surface heat gain, increase habitat and attract wildlife, and involve the community in the process. This June 2010 we were awarded $8,863 from Partners in Conservation (PIC) East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District for phase one of the project which includes removing 180′ x 5′ of pavement area along the south side of the parking lot, installing recycled wheel stops and planting nine trees and various plants and shrubs. Phase two includes building a bioswale along the north side of the parking lot and rerouting the storm water runoff so that it filters naturally into this planted basin, instead of entering the combined sewer system. Students, staff, parent and community volunteers will have the chance to participate in this project. Each class will have the opportunity to plant one tree with the help of Portland Parks and Recreation Urban Forestry crew this fall. If you are interested in getting involved and becoming a Friend of the Evergreen Street Tree Planting Project please contact Julia Hamlin. Phone: 503-916-6360 Email: lewislearninggardens@gmail.com We will be seeking assistance installing wheel stops, planting trees, maintaining the newly planted area and watering over the summer.

Chef David Anderson of Genoa Visits the Lewis Garden…

Mr. Lauer — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:58:41 +0000

I am happy to report that Lewis Elementary School will be partnering with a local restaurant as part of the Chefs Move to School program sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture. We will be partnered with Executive Chef David Anderson of Genoa and Accanto. Today Mr. Anderson visited the Lewis Garden and talked with some of our 1st grade students about his work.

The goal of the program is….
to have chefs get involved by adopting a school and working with teachers, parents and school nutrition professionals and administrators to help educate kids about food and nutrition. By creating healthy dishes that taste good, chefs have a unique ability to deliver these messages in a fun and appealing way to the larger audience, particularly children. http://www.letsmove.gov/

This program fits well with our ongoing efforts regarding nutrition, gardening and local sustainable food. I look forward to working with Mr. Anderson over the summer to develop this partnership.

Staffing Update

Mr. Lauer — Thu, 20 May 2010 02:25:53 +0000

In the past week we have added two teachers to staff. I am happy to report that Jannelle Winter will be joining our staff as a counselor. This is a new position for us and we look forward to having Jannelle as a resource. She will work half time at Atkinson and half time at Lewis.
   In addition, Jennifer Meyer will join us as our Learning Center teacher. Currently Jennifer serves in that capacity at Arleta Elementary. I am very please to welcome both of these educators to our staff.
   Mr. Manger wanted to share with our families that he planning to take a leave to teach in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia next school year. This is a tremendous opportunity for Jeremy. Please join me in congratulating Jeremy and his family on this new chapter in their lives.
   We had anticipated having Mr. Manger teach 4th grade. When his leave is processed we will have a 4th grade vacancy.

Below is a listing of our projected teaching staffing assignments for the 2010 – 2011 school year.
Kindergarten: Cindy DiCenzo
Kindergarten: Dana Jacobsen
1st Grade: Sarah Kohn
1st Grade: Anne Logue
1st Grade: Teresa Pechette
2nd Grade: Lynne Leake
2nd Grade: Deborah Swan
2nd Grade: Marta Vasquez
3rd Grade: Anna Davis
3rd Grade: Stephanie Wieand
4th Grade: Vacancy
4th Grade: Vacancy
4/5 Grade: Aleta Ross
5th Grade: Sylvia Jen
5th Grade: Debbie Keefer
PE: Ken Woods
Speech: Suzie Ramirez
Music/Tech: Tony Jamesbarry
ELL: Leslie Lauretti
Lit Support: Sarah Jamesbarry
Lit Support: Patty Zimmerman
Communications Classroom : Brian Post
Community Agent/Garden: Julia Hamlin
Learning Center: Jennifer Meyer
School Counselor : Jennelle Winter

Late Opening May 19, 2010

Mr. Lauer — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:48:40 +0000

School will start at 10:40 on Wednesday, May 19, 2010.

Lewis Community Dinner

Mr. Lauer — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:51:13 +0000

On Friday, May 21, we will hold a community dinner in our cafeteria. We are looking for volunteers for set-up and clean-up. Please contact Jen Kelly at jenkelly33@comcast.net for more information.

4th Grade Camp Trip

Mr. Lauer — Sat, 01 May 2010 18:35:49 +0000

A reminder that most of our 4th grade students will be going to OMSI camp on Monday. Students should report to the Glenwood Street entrance at 8:30 am on Monday morning.