Oct./Nov. Newsletter Article

Dear Pauling Pride Community,

I wholeheartedly believe the old saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.” Each phase of child development has its unique traits which make the whole process simultaneously challenging and rewarding. The middle school years (early adolescence) can be a time when children prefer or demand the “villagers” be less direct in their “raising.”  I can respect this desire, but in order for the Linus Pauling village to move forward, our active partnership is key.  A big LP thank you to the many wonderful volunteers who supported our annual serve day, schedule-pick up, first days of school, Outdoor Experience, cross country meets, putting on iPad screen protectors, and so much more.  We are thankful for our village!  

The preparation for the iPad roll-out has made for a busy fall!  We are hosting a parent information night, conducting professional development with staff, teaching iPad “Boot Camp,” and preparing for the operational roll-out.  We learned many things last year when we piloted the iPads with mobile carts in science, math, and special education.  Increasing the scale to 1:1 will allow us to utilize the technology in each classroom, efficiency with workflow, greater organization, and to close the digital gap. 

Starting in 2012, we moved away from our annual product-based magazine sale to a direct donation fundraiser called Make Your Mark.  In our first year we raised nearly $8,000 and last year we exceeded our goal with over $15,000 in donations!!!  Along with innovative projects and tools, we have rich traditions such as the 8^th grade Mock Congress learning simulation, Pride Early Art Class, and Track and Field Scholarships which are made possible as a result of our generous community.  With the focus on multiple initiatives including iPads, we will officially launch our Make Your Mark fundraising campaign later in October and we plan to have fun prizes for participation through our Pride classes. 

Thank you for taking the time to read the newsletter and staying informed of the happenings at LPMS.  We had an amazing turn-out for our Principal Coffee Chat in August.  This year we added a blog.  The link is on our website www.lpms.us.  Our PTO will continue to partner with us to email out a weekly parent newsletter called the WAAG (Week at a Glance).  Thank you for your continued support of the Pride learning community!

Go PRIDE & Go Beavs!

Sincerely,

Eric Beasley

Principal

2013 Parent Curriculum Night

Dear Families,

Thank you to those that attended our curriculum night!  If you were not able to attend, below is a link to the opening slideshow.  Also, you can learn about curriculum under the "academics" tab of our WWW.LPMS.US website.


2013 Parent Curriculum Night Slideshow


We also had a video to feature staff talking about iPads in anticipation of our parent iPad night that will be October 8th at 6:30 at LPMS.  I'll try and add the video to this blog soon.

Here is a link to a district FAQ created by the district. 

1:World iPad FAQ


Sincerely,

Eric Beasley

Legacy Reflection from Summer

I love baseball. I grew up in the baseball town of The Dalles on the Columbia

Gorge and enjoyed playing it as boy through college at George Fox University.

After my pitching days concluded (I couldn't go pro with a fastball in the low 80s),

my journey continued as high school coach in Sherwood, Oregon.  In mourning my beloved days in the dugout, I readily confess that I drag my children to OSU and Knights games when time allows. To increase the chances that the love of baseball will transfer, I strategically plan for games that include fireworks or a give-a-away. :-)

This summer, I led my family on a pilgrimage to Safeco Field to watch my team

the Seattle Mariners. The game included a coveted bobble head doll, but more

important to me was the pre-game ceremony to formally induct the great Ken

Griffey Jr. into the mariner Hall of Fame (Cooperstown won't be long after).  I loved watching Griffey play as a young man.  Along with Jr.'s family, on hand were Mariner greats including Alvin Davis, Randy Johnson, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, and Dan Wilson.

Ken Griffey Jr. was a tremendous baseball player. He excelled in every aspect of

the game with his beautiful swing, gold glove plays in center field, and big smile

that helped him earn the nickname "the kid." Ken exuded love for the game of

baseball and serves as a reminder to all that we need to enjoy the journey.

During the presentation ceremony, the story of Jr.'s baseball prowess was certainly glorified, yet even more impressive was hearing about the lives that Griffey touched

through his involvement in "Make a Wish" foundation. His teammates highlighted

his loyalty and friendship in the locker room and impressive respect for the

history of the game. It was shared how Griffey was a tremendous family man. A

video was beamed in of his son who was preparing for a football season at the University of Arizona that caused Jr. to tear up. A representative from baseball

spoke of Griffey's advocacy for societal progress in areas of equity. Ken was the

catalyst behind baseball's annual day where all player's where Jackie Robinson's

number 42 which is the only number that is completely retired in all of Major

League Baseball.

Driving home, I was reflecting on Griffey's legacy. Taking care of family, excelling in your profession, giving back to the community… these are key elements of a tremendous legacy, but Griffey also reminds us to also put the hat on backwards and remember "the kid" inside of us all.  Thanks, Ken!

-Eric Beasley