News from Alfonso – 4/30

First up huge congratulations to the grade 5 students and to their teachers Hong, Wen, Constanza and Taka for a first rate PYP exhibition last Friday. Thank you also to PYP Coordinator Teresa Wirsching who worked with all classes preparing for the exhibition, to our new Tech Man Mark Usher who made sure all the tech was set up, as well as to the ubiquitous prima ballerinas Frank and Eros. The student presentations and visuals and videos and graphs of their findings during their cultural trips were really enjoyable and illuminating. The students also showed great endurance and poise, presenting to one group after another for almost the entire day! Click here to see more photos.

We had a fun time last week with the ISP Fund, and thank you for responding. Let’s keep going until we get to 100% of our ISP Fund goals. Eros and Frank were especially good sports (Happy Birthday today, Frank! Have a fund day).

We were to have begun State testing this morning with reading for third graders but there was a computer glitch that our friends at the State Testing Office had not alerted us to.  You may ask “Why do we take state tests?” A very good question (especially after this morning’s issues). Well, many parents are interested in linking to an outside objective standard to see how our kids are learning, in addition to the DELE test from Spain, the HSK from China and the Japanese Proficiency Test. We too like to know how we stand with schools out there on their metrics.

For tomorrow, May Day, we received this announcement:

“On Tuesday May 1, the Portland Police Bureau anticipates a number of May Day protests, including a rally and march beginning in the South Park Blocks at 3:30 p.m. After the rally, a parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. traveling north on Broadway, east on Burnside, south on SW Second, west on Columbia and back up to the South Park Blocks.  Expect delays and temporary street closures through the afternoon.”  It seems there is a great hysteria to give to the ISP Fund.

Wishing you a good week,
Alfonso
Dr. Alfonso Orsini, Head of School, AOrsini@intlschool.org, 503-226-2496 x122