Challenge Hour Needs You!

GREAT news!  Challenge Hour is starting in January!   

All teaching staff received official notice last week that Challenge Hour is coming.  While this initial run will be Grades 3-5, we are hopeful 2nd Grade will be able to have a similar program following Spring Break.

Please read the following, then reply to heatherk100@aol.com by 12/21 in one of the following ways:

1.  I am "in" and can attend all 8 sessions for Grade ____ (3, 4 or 5)*

2.  I am "in" and can attend 4-7 sessions for Grade ____ (3, 4 or 5)*

3.  I am "in" and can attend 1-3 sessions for Grade ____ (3, 4 or 5)*

4.  I can't help with the sessions this time around, but keep me on the list for other kinds of help.

*if you know specific dates you are unable to attend, please include them in your email.

Check out the details below and please remember to reply by December 21st.  

Many thanks to you and Happy Holidays!

Heather, Susan and Carol

5th Grade Coordinator - Susan Lattimore, lattimor@ohsu.edu  (Llewellyn TAG Parent Liaison)

4th Grade Coordinator - Carol Connolly, carolwaw@gmail.com, 

3rd Grade Coordinator -  Heather Koch, heatherk100@aol.com

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TAG Challenge Hour details:

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• The 8-week program is scheduled to begin the week of January 20 and culminate the week of March 10.
• We plan to schedule a time to share projects at the end of the program, ideally an evening soon after March 13 but before Spring Break.
• Volunteers are the key to making this parent-run program a success.  We want to show the teachers, staff and administration that we can: (1) give a little extra for the TAG program, (2) give the TAG-identified students an extra opportunity, and (3) give the teachers a chance to focus once-a-week on smaller-class sessions of non-TAG students.  It is no small matter to pull kids out of their regular class, but we hope to prove that it can work to benefit many. 
• We need 4 parent volunteers to guide each session.  
• It would be outstanding to have the same volunteers at every session, as we need consistency particularly for this initial run; however, if that is not possible, we would like to have 1 or 2 volunteers be at every session and the rest rotating for as many of the 8 as possible.  
• We are very aware that this schedule is challenging for parent volunteers, especially if work schedules are not very flexible.  In the future, perhaps we can fine tune schedules to work ideally for the majority of parents; for now, we just consider it a major victory to have gotten commitments for available space on any given day at any time for this totally new endeavor.  One step at a time.  
• We will do a Team Orientation in January after the break.  Please stay tuned.  We'll need everyone to come and work together at this orientation.  There will be a framework for the 8-session program, but most of our work as guides will not be formulaic or scripted.  A lot of this will just be about being responsive and supporting the students as they set off on their respective Challenges.

Challenge Hour times are as follows:

• Tuesdays, 10:15 - 11:15. 4th Grade in the Library (up to 28 TAG students participating)
• Wednesdays, 1:05 - 2:05.  3rd Grade in Joe Ferguson's room. (up to 26 TAG students participating)
• Thursdays, 10:15 - 11:15. 5th Grade in the Library (up to 20 TAG students participating).  [One day per month, Thursday's Challenge Hour may be in Mr. Crouser's Room to allow for Cup of Joe Library Make-Up Time.] 

Meeting dates are as follows:

• 1 - January 21/22/23
• 2 - January 28/29/30
• 3 - February 4/5/6
• 4 - February 11/12/13
• 5 - February 18/19/20
• 6 - February 25/26/27
• 7 - March 4/5/6
• 8 - March 11/12/13