January 4, 2019
Happy New Year Markham Families!
I hope you had a wonderful winter break. On Wednesday, the first day back, a student greeted me by saying, “I am awake on the outside but sleep on the inside.” I totally understood what he meant. I know we are all readjusting to our regular routines. It is good to be back!
Thank you to all who helped to make Grandparents and Special Friends Day a wonderful event. It was well attended, possibly our largest crowd yet. It is such a privilege and honor to have such special guests in our school.
The Book Fair set a record for the second year. We surpassed last year’s record by 24%. Big thanks to all the families, grandparents and special friends that supported this worthy cause. Every dollar goes towards purchasing new books for our library.
A big shout out to Lamb’s Garden Home Thriftway and their customers for supporting Markham! Markham received a check for $1,358.11. This is from their School Bottle Donation Program. This money supports student materials and other activities at Markham.
Many of our students took part in our Winter Break Reading and Writing Challenge by completing some or all of the packet sent home. Students were acknowledged at today’s Writing and High Five Awards Assembly and each received a Markham pencil as a token of appreciation for their effort.
Let’s get ready to honor and celebrate our 5th graders with our Chinese New Year Dragon Parade. This signifies a rites of passage for our 5th graders as they are preparing to enter middle school next year. This is a time honored tradition at Markham. It is Friday, February 8th. All Markham families are encouraged to come as we line the halls starting at 2:30 to cheer them on. We are very proud of each one of them!
Good News – At the end of winter break a sump pump pipe was added at the drain outside of the small gym and connected to our field drainage in order to prevent flooding into the small gym during heavy rains.
Spread the Word! Our first Connect to Kindergarten event will be Thursday, February 7th from 6:30 to 7:30 PM in our auditorium. The second Connect to Kindergarten event is Thursday, April 25th from 6:30 to 7:30 PM in our library. These are both parent only events. During our time together parents gain insight into our kindergarten program and other offerings as to how we support and nurture students’ learning. There will be light refreshments sponsored by our PTA and PTA representatives will be available to answer questions. School Tours for pro will take place on Fridays, February 15th, 22nd and March 1st and 8th from 9:00 to 10:00. Please call the office to schedule a tour.
Markham's Beach Ball Auction is March 2, 2019. You do not want to miss this fun and worthwhile event! It will take place at the West End Ballroom. The address is 1220 SW Taylor St., Portland, OR. Please follow the link for more information and to purchase tickets:
https://markham.tofinoauctions.com/auction2019/register/ticket_sales
Markham’s Global Village Family Night is coming Thursday, January 31st from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. In the past, this event has taken place in the spring along with the spring concert and used book sale. The date was changed to allow more families to participate due to spring being such a busy time. There will be a global spotlight where students share something from a culture of their choosing. A food truck will be here to share a delicious cultural treat, a Markham spirit wear raffle and much more.
TAG News
Saturday Academy Enrichment for TAG 4th graders begins Tuesday, January 8th and ends on March 12th. The time will be 1:00 - 2:00.
TAG Enrichment Classes for winter with Mr. Kertay will begin next week for fifth and second graders.
Fifth grade will go on Fridays from 9:45 - 10:45. Classes will end on March 15th. Second grade will go on Thursdays from 2:00 - 2:55. Classes will end on March 14th.
TAG Testing is coming up: February 5th, 6th and 7th. If your child is testing, please make sure they get the proper amount of sleep and have eaten breakfast each day. The testing schedule is flexible, so it is uncertain as to which date and the time your child will be assessed.
Have a wonderful January Markham Community,
Shawn Garnett
Principal
