Richmond Principal's Message
Principal Kathryn Anderson on "We Love Our Principal" day in March 2006
March 21
Dear Richmond Families,
The faculty at Richmond recently received our staff allocation for the 2008-09 school year and submitted the plan for class and school support after getting feedback from parents on Feb. 28th and the Site Council on March 11. The good news is:
- Our allocation of full-time equivalent staff positions (FTE) has increased due to our growing school population. This increase in FTE plus a surge in contributions to Richmond's Foundation have minimized, and can possibly eliminate, the need for staff cuts.
- Class sizes in grades PreK-3 are smaller than those in other elementary schools and immersion programs. For example, Woodstock's Chinese immersion program set a transfer limit of 30 students per kindergarten class for 2008-09, while Richmond set our limit at 25.
- Class sizes in grades 4-5 will be consistent with other neighborhood schools and immersion programs.
- Our school community has the capacity to raise enough to keep our even numbered class structure in place. Last year, Richmond's Foundation raised enough money to fund almost 60% of a full-time staff position in grade 1. This year, we need to raise 10% more than we did last year to complete funding for a full-time classroom teacher at grades 4-5 and eliminate the need for mixed-age classes at those grade levels. We did it last year and we can do it this year, too.
Here's what our staff plan looks like for Richmond:
- PreK = 2 classes of 25 students each with two full-time teachers of English, one full-time teacher of Japanese, one full-time bilingual education assistant, and two full-time interns
- Kindergarten = 4 classes of 25 students each (two classes of Japanese, two classes of English)
- 1st Grade = 4 classes of 25-26 students each (two classes of Japanese, two classes of English)
- 2nd Grade = 4 classes of 25-26 students each (two classes of Japanese, two classes of English)
- 3rd Grade = 2 classes of 27-28 students each (one class of Japanese, one class of English)
- 4th & 5th Grade = 3 classes of students in either a mixed-age class structure of 4th and 5th
graders OR separated by grade level. This is one of several examples teachers are studying:
Class A— 5th graders spend morning in Japanese, afternoon in English
Class B— 4th graders spend morning in English, afternoon in Japanese
Class C— Mixed age class of 4th and 5th graders with one teacher that holds dual certification in both English and Japanese -OR-
(with 0.70 FTE raised by Richmond Foundation)
4th Grade = 2 classes of 27-29 students each (one class of Japanese, one class of English)5th Grade = 2 classes of 18-20 students each (one class of Japanese, one class of English)
- Instructional Specialists in place to guarantee that each child receives a minimum of three enrichment sessions per week: PE (1.00 FTE), Cultural Arts (0.50 FTE), and Reading Specialist (0.50 FTE). This is a District requirement and the FTE cannot be shifted to classroom positions.
- Office Support = one principal, one full-time secretary (Patsy) and one new half-time secretary for a total of 1.80 FTE. This FTE cannot be shifted to classroom positions per District requirements.
Missing from this list is the half-time position of library assistant, currently filled by Lynne Cummings, or "Mrs. C." as the children call her. Mrs. C. will be moving to a new position in another Portland school during the 2008-09 school year and will be greatly missed by every Richmond child. The library will be open next year and classes will have scheduled time to check out books on a weekly basis with help from our Grandparents' Brigade and volunteers recruited through our PTA.
In each of the last two years, I have successfully lobbied our District for extra FTE to help us with our staff plan. I have not been successful this year, nor has our PTA, despite several individual and collective attempts (see p.4 for details). Principals have been told that extra FTE has been set-aside for "balancing" in September 2008, but I do not want to rely on this as our only solution to our staffing shortfall. Working together to raise funds through our school Foundation is our best hope.
Parents can comment on the budget during public feedback portions of regular Board of Education meetings on Monday, March 31st at 6:30 PM at the district office located at 501 N. Dixon (near the Rose Garden, one block North of Broadway and Interstate). Comments and questions may also be e-mailed to the Board at SchoolBoard@pps.k12.or.us or sent via regular mail to School Board, P.O. Box 3107, Portland, OR 97208-3107.
Even though there is still considerable time remaining in the school year, Richmond staff will start thinking about class assignments for 2008-09 in the next few weeks in order to have class lists finalized by the end of the school year. We will work hard to create classes for the next year to reflect balance in gender, ethnicity, achievement levels, leadership abilities and special needs. We want every child to have a successful year at Richmond, so a great deal of time and energy goes into making decisions about the perfect class placement for your child.
Our experience last year with the following process and timeline was very successful. Parents appreciated knowing the name of their child’s teacher for the coming school year prior to the start of summer vacation. Feedback from many parents revealed we closely followed the information parents provided and ended up making comfortable, correct class placement decisions for their child(ren).
A class placement feedback sheet will be sent home with our newsletter on Friday, April 18th asking parents for information to help us in our placement of students. We ask this form be returned to Richmond no later than May 9th. An electronic copy will also be on the Richmond website. Teachers will meet with their grade level colleagues to develop class lists. Information about a student's progress, skills, and needs are the basis for forming classes. An effort is made to keep class sizes equal in number and consideration is given to separating students known to have conflicts with one another.
A letter with class placement for 2008-09 will be mailed home with report cards the week of June 14. Questions about class placement should be directed to me, not the classroom teacher, since I'm responsible for the final class decisions.
As in prior years, I've set up a series of morning and evening gatherings to give you a chance to hear the facts and ask all the questions you wish about our staff allocation and corresponding staff plan for 2008-09. I will also have specific information about PE and art support at Richmond in 2008-09 and will be able to show you how Richmond compares to other elementary immersion schools in Portland Public Schools. I've tried to schedule these sessions on different days of the week with morning and evening options to give everyone a chance to attend. Here's a list of the dates:
Tues. April 2 at 6:30-8:30 pm in the cafeteria
Friday, April 4 at 8:30-10:30 am in the cafeteria
Please remember we've identified a staffing plan that protects our core curriculum and enrichment program from cuts. Class sizes are still much lower than most immersion programs in grades PreK-3 and consistent at grades 4-5. Our professional teachers will, as always, maintain an outstanding instructional program at every grade level. Do not hesitate to share your questions, thoughts and ideas with me in the weeks ahead. I deeply appreciate your wisdom and passion about Richmond’s immersion program.
January 11
Dear Richmond Families,
Parents, students, community members and educators are invited to four January meetings in different quadrants of the city to give input on options for repairing, remodeling and/or rebuilding Portland Public School buildings. Sessions will be held at:
- North region of Portland at Jefferson High School (5210 N. Kerby) at 7-9:30 PM
- West region of Portland at Wilson High School (1151 SW Vermont) at 7-9:30 PM
- Northeast region of Portland at Madison High School (2735 NE 82nd Ave.) at 7-9:30 PM
- Southeast region of Portland at Franklin High School (5405 SE Woodward) at 7-9:30 PM
Following the meetings, the consultants will meet with district staff in February to develop a recommended plan, which will be presented to the school board in March. Another round of public input sessions on the plan will be held in April. The Board of Education is scheduled to adopt a final facilities plan in May. Richmond opened its doors to the first class of students in 1908 and is the oldest building currently in use as a school in the Portland Public School District. In addition, our Japanese immersion school supports the fastest growing student population of any school in the district. While our school building has had many updates in its 100 year history, it has a long way to go before it can adequately support the technology and space needs of our growing immersion program. I strongly urge you to attend one of these important community forums, if at all possible, and speak to the facility needs you see at Richmond. Your parent voice carries a great deal of weight.
November 8
Dear Richmond Families,
Every year, schools survey the student population to identify students who may be intellectually gifted and/or academically talented. This talented and gifted process (TAG) includes the chance for parents to nominate their child if they believe the child is exceptionally able. Nomination forms are located in the main hallway on the TAG bulletin board and are also available from your child's teacher or in the school office. The deadline for TAG nomination is Friday, November 30th.
Currently almost 7% of Richmond students have been identified as talented and gifted. Unsure whether your child is a TAG candidate? The following list of common TAG characteristics has been taken from our district's TAG Parent Handbook to help guide your conversation with your child's teacher in the weeks ahead:
- Memory – Possesses a large storehouse of information on school and non-school topics.
- Inquiry – Asks unusual questions for age; plays around with ideas.
- Reasoning – Uses logical approaches to figuring out solutions; ability to think things through and come up with a logical answer and explain why this is so.
- Problem Solving – Effective strategies for recognizing and solving complex problems.
- Motivation – Persistent in self-selected tasks; may be culturally influenced and evident in school and non-school activities; very enthusiastic learner.
- Insight – Quickly grasps new concepts and makes connections; keenly observant.
- Imagination/Creativity – Produces many ideas; highly original; fluent and flexible producer of ideas; highly curious.
- Communication Skills – Highly expressive; unusual ability to communicate effectively (verbally, nonverbally, physically, artistically, symbolically).
- Interests – Unusual or advanced interests in a topic or activity; self-starter; pursues an activity unceasingly, beyond the group.
- Humor – Conveys and picks up on humor well.
Have you had trouble reaching me by email in the last week? The screen on my laptop faded to black last Tuesday, October 30th and had to be taken for repair. Portland Public Schools did not have another laptop to give me on loan, hence my inability to get the newsletter to you on Friday, November 2nd and respond to your emails. I received a loaner laptop this week and have managed to respond to 213 emails so far, with 136 left to go. Please excuse my delay in responding to your emails—I'm typing as fast as possible! As always, do not hesitate to call me at the following numbers if you need me for an urgent matter:
School—503-916-6220
Cell—503-329-1681
Home—503-251-2753
Kathryn Anderson, Principal
October 12
On Monday, the Oregon Department of Education released the official report cards for each public school and we learned that Richmond has received the designation of an "EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL" for our students' achievement in reading, writing and mathematics in the 2006-07 school year. This is the second year in a row that Richmond has achieved "exceptional'” status and the first time in it's history to repeat the honor. You can view Richmond's report card below. The complete version is available at the Oregon Department of Education Web site.
Our exceptional status does reinforce the skill and experience of our classroom teachers and support staff, but it also acknowledges the important role parents and extended family play in a child's achievement. Such an accomplishment would not be possible without your dedication to your child's education and the way you strongly support your child's learning beyond the school day and year. You make sure your child has frequent trips to the local library and has a growing collection of children’s literature in your home library. You work with your child as he/she completes homework each day and you take your family to important community venues that enrich your child's education (e.g. OMSI, Japanese Garden, local festivals, art exhibits, etc.).
Richmond families have also contributed to our school's success by working long and hard to raise thousands of dollars to enable us to add classroom teachers beyond our district allocation to: 1) keep class sizes small in the majority of our classrooms, and 2) add a reading specialist to work with children individually or in small groups. This gift of extra teachers, particularly in classrooms with our youngest learners, has made all the difference. Thank you for your commitment to Richmond. Our school would not have this exceptional award without your help. It's that simple. So please pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself on our collective achievement!
October 5
Dear Richmond Families,
Monday's announcement about a new leader for Portland Public Schools has prompted many parents to ask me what I really know about Carole Smith, our superintendent who was appointed this week. I’ve been happy to tell them that the collaborative, honest, dedicated and very smart woman they've read about in the local papers is precisely the Carole Smith I've had the pleasure of working with for almost 10 years. Carole has visited Richmond several times over the last two years, in her role as the Superintendent's Chief of Staff, to learn about the work of an immersion school and spend time in classrooms with students and teachers. She's very familiar with our Japanese garden plan and has already helped grease the wheels for the project through our District's facilities department.
Many people think there's a lot going on at Richmond and the list of 30 current initiatives below shows how busy we really are. Give this list a look to find out who's leading that special project you've heard about and want to get involved with. You can sign-up to help with any of these initiatives by placing your name and email address next to the initiative of your choice on the big bulletin board in the main hallway of the school, just outside the office.
Interested in comparing notes on class sizes with parents in other Portland schools? If so, check out the blog BlueOregon at this link: http://www.blueoregon.com/2007/10/welcome-to-kind.html#c85140488. On Thursday, two parents of kindergarten students at Abernethy Elementary School posted an article entitled, "Welcome to kindergarten. What's your name again?" to share the challenges of kindergarten classes with 32 students each. The details in the article, and the responses from other readers, will give you much to consider as you compare Richmond's kindergarten class sizes of 22-23 and first grade classes of 24-25.
Finally, we're making progress with the installation of new bike racks at Richmond, thanks to the research and diligence of two parents, Jeanne Kaliszewski and Shannon Alexander Sweet. This week we met with Jeff Smith from the City of Portland's Transportation Options office to scout the best places around our school to install new bike racks. We've identified two spots in front of the school on each side of the main building for quick installation by the City (see pictures #1 & 2 below) and are considering two additional spots for staff (picture #3) and student bikes (picture #4) that could be installed by the City and covered by us to keep them dry. Let us know what you think about these ideas!
September 28
Dear Richmond Families,
Last night over 400 parents of students in grades 1-5 attended our Curriculum Night to receive details about what their child(ren) will learn this year and the teaching strategies and materials to be used to teach this curriculum. While this evening is an important opportunity for parents to learn the highlights of our instructional program, it's most definitely not the last chance to get this information. You can download copies of the curriculum for all subjects, at each grade level, on the Curriculum page and read the weekly grade level updates in every issue of the Richmond Shinbun (always on pages 2-3) and on the Grade Level Pages section.
Classroom teachers are always ready and willing to talk with you about your child's progress toward the benchmarks at his/her grade, so do not hesitate to contact them for time to talk. Our teachers lack uninterrupted time for such conversations at the beginning and end of the school day unless you call or email them for an appointment. Email addresses for all classroom teachers are listed on page four, above the month of October, in the yellow Parent Handbook and on the Staff page of this Web site.
September 21
Dear Richmond Families,
Richmond's Japanese Immersion Program was well represented at the Japan Festival, held last weekend at the Uwajimaya Center in Beaverton. We had a booth to display a wide array of pictures, student work and information about our school, giving us an important opportunity to spread the word about our special school.
On Sunday, almost two-thirds of Richmond's third grade class performed a series of three songs in Japanese and completely wowed the audience. This delightful group was organized and led by Richmond parent, Ritsuko Fujiwara, who made the rehearsals so much fun, the students willingly exchanged their noon recess time for the chance to sing and dance with her. The picture below shows Fujiwara-san leading our singers in a short warm-up before their performance at the Japan Festival, while the picture to the right shows her with a small group of summer performers at our Back-to-School picnic at Oaks Park.
This gives me a great opportunity to announce that Fujiwara-san will be formally joining the Richmond staff as a Cultural Arts Specialist, working half-time (MWF) to be an ambassador for Richmond with Portland's Japanese art and cultural groups:
- Coordinate all our cultural exchanges in Portland and Japan with the help of veteran parent, Masako Weiber;
- Coach school performance groups;
- Assist teachers with the revision of the cultural section of the Japanese curriculum;
- Coordinate music and art experiences for our students.
Funding for this position comes from a Portland Public Schools "Priority Funds" grant I wrote this spring to pay for this work. Please join me in welcoming Ritsuko to this important position!
September 14
Dear Richmond Families,
Our first full week of school has been smooth sailing for the most part. All of us--students, teachers, parents and support staff--have gotten back into the school groove and are settling in. Just the other day, I needed to comfort a kindergarten student who was in tears because she didn't want the school day to end. Several other parents have told me much the same thing--their kids want to stay at school "just a little longer" to continue the fun. This is the kind of sentiment that really makes our day.
The only glitch this first week has been a morning traffic problem in front of the school. Drivers, please follow these guidelines when dropping your child off in the morning:
- Parents with very young children, PreK-2, please park and walk your children into the building. If you must drop them off from the car, please pull into the parking lot and let them exit the car by the handicapped parking spaces so they can get right into the cafeteria.
- The most safe (and fast) place to drop off children from the car in grades 3-5 is in front of the school, heading North on SE 41st street so children can leave the car from the passenger side and hop right onto the sidewalk. Please watch for school buses arriving between 7:45-8:00 AM and do not block their access to the curb.
- Obey the crosswalks along SE 41st street! Our safety patrol students will be at these crosswalks in the next week and I will also be on hand to supervise the safety patrol and help people cross safely.
Thanks in advance for your help to keep everyone safe with the morning drop off!
September 7
Dear Richmond Families,
Welcome back to school! It has been so nice to see you and your children walking through Richmond's doors with smiles on your faces as you head to a new pair of classrooms for the 2007-08 school year.
This is the first of thirty-six issues of Richmond's weekly newsletter that will come to you in three ways: 1) via your child's backpack, 2) on Richmond's website at www.richmondjmp.org, and 3) through an email alert using your grade level Listserv. Richmond's newsletter is the most reliable source for current events, announcements, and information about our Japanese immersion program.Please take a moment to scan the newsletter each week to keep yourself up-to-date on what's happening at your child's school. If you only have a second to look through the newsletter, I recommend you take the time to check these regular features:
- Calendar of Events — always located on the last page of the newsletter and on the Calendar page of the Web site.
- Looking Ahead in Your Child's Classroom - located on page 2 of each issue. This feature will contain brief updates for the week ahead in each grade level to help you support your child's learning.
- Updates from P.T.A., Richmond Foundation and Oya No Kai - These are the key parent groups that provide priceless support to our school program. Look for news about special events and ways to get involved.
- Pictures - It's my pledge to include more pictures this year to showcase the wonderful things happening throughout our school.
Thank you for sharing your children with us at Richmond. We love teaching and pledge to do everything in our power to make sure it's a great school year!
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