WHEN SCHOOL BEGINS on September 6, all new students will board busses and head for “Headwaters.” The first three days of school will be spent at this all school retreat at The McKenzie River Conference Center (at the US Basketball Training Camp in Blue Riv-er) for our all school retreat, “Headwaters!”

WHAT THE HECK IS HEADWATERS?Headwaters focuses on relationships through the Arts & Sciences. All A3 students, staff, & guest artists will participate for some or all of the event in a variety of activities designed for everyone to work together and, most im-portantly, ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.

READy, SET, go:1. FILL OUT THE HEADWATER’S SURVEY ON THE A3 WEBPAGE: a3school.orgThis will tell us your preferences for meals, sleeping arrangements and much more.

2. BRING SIGNED PERMISSION FORM (pg.3)TO REGISTRATION ON AUG. 30. If you need medications for Headwaters bring that to

registration also in the original containers. StudentS may not carry their own medicationS. 3: WHO CAN GO: Only officially enrolled A3 students may attend. See chart below for details.

4: EMERGENCIES: Contact:Mike Fisher 541.915.9150 or Ed Mendelssohn 541.915.0620. There’s NO cell service there, but we should be able to receive iMessages/email anytime and will check voice mail regularly.

5. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING: Use the checklist on the next page.

6. SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS: NO ONE WILL SLEEP ON THE GROUND. No one. We’ll be using five dormitories on site and augment sleeping arrangements with cots. New students will have priority placements and, as space allows, A3 veterans will be included.

HEADWATERS

A3 Student Registration August 30• All A3 students MUST attend• Drop-in between 9am and

4pm (plan to spend 45 minutes)

• Get your class schedule• Pay your student fees (we

accept cash, check, or debit) Includes an LTD bus pass

• Confirm your contact and demographic information

• Pick up your temporary I.D.• Meet with SPED staff if

necessary• Find out your Headwaters

arrival and departure time based on your student status

BRING YOURHEADWATERSPERMISSIONFORM &ANY MEDS NEEDED TOREGISTRATION!Form on page 3

Parents, please drop off any medications for HEADWATERS IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINERS at registration on Aug. 30! Students are not allowed to bring or carry their own medication.

ImportantBack-to-School News

MandatoryRegistration August 30

HeadwatersSept. 6-8

August, 2017 | Vol. 12 Issue 1

Continued on next page

ALL New StudentsCheck-in: Sept. 6 at 8:00amReturning Sept. 8 approx. 2:00pm Buses leave and return to the

Willamalane Center (now called the Bob Keefer Center), 250 S 32nd St., Springfield

Students may NOT drive themselves.

Returning Students who have never been to Headwaters

Check-in: Sept. 7 at 8:00amReturning Sept. 8 approx. 2:00pm

Returning StudentsCheck-in: Sept 7, 8:00amReturning Sept. 7 approx.10:00pm

Returning students are invited to stay one or both nights as space allows. Please indicate your preference on the Headwater’s Survey or talk to Wilson. Follow the bus times above for the dates you are going.

WHEREWHENWHO

2 | Academy of Arts & Academics | a3school.org

LEARNING TARGETS:I can provide evidence of group communication, shar-ing work, mutual respect and problem solving, set-ting clear goals and meeting deadlines.

I can defend my learning process with evidence of persistence, refi nement, and how my work matters to me.

Continued from previous pageHEADWATERS

Students will be participating in, and refl ecting on, a range of workshops linked to the Headwater’s Learning Targets. We’ll spend the day Wednesday doing a variety of activities that highlight our unique EDCRO learning process and Community Agree-ments curriculum.

On Thursday, we welcome special Guest Art-ists and staff to conduct workshops explor-ing the arts and sciences. For our veteran students we’ve tailored all day workshops to have a deeper experience, while the other students will have the opportunity to sample a variety of exciting activities.

Evenings will highlight performances—on Wednesday Guest Artists and staff while Thursday are performances by students.

The Experience

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT HEADWATERS!

Snapshots from several of last year’s camp workshops. Use the QR code below to get the full Headwaters experience with a compilation video made by Misha Skinner-Gehr as her senior project last year along with the A3 Media Team.

CHECKLIST What to bring—adjust depending on whether or not you’re staying the night.

7. FOOD: Meals will be served starting with lunch Wed, Sept. 6. We’ve hired professional chef Sandra Littell to create a healthy and nutritious menu. We’ve taken your feedback about what you can and WANT to eat and will use this information to create a healthy, nutritious, and delicious menu!

8. COST: Headwaters is free for all A3 stu-dents and volunteers. HOWEVER, we would happily accept donations. Please call our Offi ce Manager to donate, (541) 744-6728.

LEARNING

of activities that highlight our unique EDCRO

Snapshots from several of last year’s camp workshops. Use the QR code below to get the full Headwaters experience with a compilation video made by Misha Skinner-Gehr as her

The Experience

happily accept donations. Please call our Offi ce Manager to donate, (541) 744-6728.

• Chaperons to spend the night (not in the same cabin with your child).• To patrol the grounds and cabins during the day while students are at workshops• Meals: to help with food services; set-up and clean-up; and food preparation

(having a food handler license is a plus for food prep). Think you may be able to help out for all or a portion of the retreat?Contact Emily at emily.borden@springfi eld.k12.or.us

❍ Appropriate sleeping attire

❍ Flashlight❍ Water bottle❍ Sleeping bag ❍ Bath articles❍ Soap/shampoo❍ Towels

❍ Shorts/Jeans❍ T-shirts❍ Sweatshirt/Rain

coat ❍ Hat❍ Sunscreen❍ Pillow ❍ Notebook/pens❍ Plastic bag

❍ Tennis shoes/socks

❍ Digital camera (if you’ve got one, and want to bring it.)

Not recommended:Bad attitudes; Cell Phones, computers— there’s

NO cell reception at the Conference Center!

Do NOT bring:• Illegal substances • Firearms/ammo/fi re-

works • Knives of ANY type

• Pets • Tobacco/matches/lighter. • Any type of music player • Jewelry

If you need bedding, please tell us! We can help!

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Student Permission Form &Medical Information for Headwaters

Academy of Arts & Academics, Health & Science (A3)A public charter school of the Springfield School District, No. 19 • Springfield, OR

Dear Parents,

In connection with their class instruction, A3 students participate in the HEADWATERS RETREAT the first three days of school as a vital part of their educational experience. This trip is planned so that the students may learn under the direct supervision of their teachers and other adults who may make the trip.

Every possible precaution is taken to ensure the safety of the students but since the trips are away from school there is an element of risk involved. The district and the school carries public liability insurance but, like private automobile insurance, it is effective only in cases of proven negligence. Oregon court decisions in the past have tended to hold that a school and school district engaged in carrying out an educational function is not liable for accidental injury.

The HEADWATERS RETREAT as well as all Springfield School District trips (including trips taken outside the State of Oregon) may incur circumstances beyond the control of the district and the trip supervisor. Your signature below indicates your awareness of the potential for unscheduled delays, personal security searches, rerouting of travel, and other events beyond the control of the school district. Parents will be liable for all expenses incurred by their child for any events that alter the planned itinerary of the trip.

Students from the Academy of Arts & Academics (A3) are traveling to THE MACKENZIE RIVER CONFERENCE CENTER in RAINBOW, OR in conjunction with the HEADWATERS RETREAT on September 6 - 8, 2017.

All A3 students are expected to attend the HEADWATERS RETREAT, however only students with properly signed permission slips are allowed to make the trip. Students who do not attend the retreat will be considered absent from school and if the absence is excused for medical reasons as allowed by state law, will complete make up assignments and other work. The school believes the experience valuable enough to warrant making the trip, but recognizes your right as a parent to decide whether you wish your student to go. Should a student not attend for any reason (excused or not), A3 will attempt to provide additional assignments to make up for the missed grading opportunity, however there is no guarantee that the stu-dent will receive credit equal to participation in the event. The Headwaters retreat counts as 5% of every class the first semester. A3 is under no legal obligation to provide a “make up” assignment for students who are not properly excused from school for medical reasons. If you approve of your student making the trip, please sign and return this permission slip by August 30, 2017.

Michael Fisher,A3 School Director

Trip Details:

WHAT: Headwaters, the all-school retreatWHERE: The McKenzie River Conference Center, Rainbow ORWHo: ALL A3 students, Arts & Academics and Health & ScienceHoW muCH: No ChargeEmERgEnCy ConTACT:Please make a note of these!

Michael Fisher, (541) 915-9150 or Ed Mendelssohn, (541) 915-0620

My approval is hereby given for ______________________________________ to make the planned trip de-scribed above on September 6 - 8, 2017. I understand that there is some element of risk involved in taking students away from the school building and that the liability insurance carried by A3 and the School District #19 is intended to protect against proven negligence. It is my understanding that Oregon court decisions have held school districts not liable for accidental injury when they are engaged in an educational function.

STuDEnT’S nAmE

PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE DATE

OtheR SiDe

BRING COMPLETED FORM TO REGISTRATION AUGUST 30

4 | Academy of Arts & Academics | a3school.org

Student Permission Form &Medical Information for Headwaters

Academy of Arts & Academics, Health & Science (A3)A public charter school of the Springfield School District, No. 19 • Springfield, OR

STUDENT NAME: _______________________________________________________________________________

Emergency contact name and phone number:_______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Allergies: Y N If yes, please list allergen and treatment for reaction:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Special Physician-Directed Dietary Restrictions: Y N If yes, please list and provide doctor’s certification:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Daily medications (prescription and non-prescription) Please list:

Parents, please drop off any medications for the retreat IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINERS at registration on August 30! Students are NOT ALLOwED to bring or carry their own medication.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Insurance Information:

Insurance provider:________________________________________________________________________

Group/Policy Number: ____________________________________________________________________

Primary Physician: _________________________________________________________________________

Phone number: ___________________________________________________________________________

In the event of an emergency, I give my permission to the Academy of Arts & Academics or Springfield

School District representative to seek emergency medical help for my student.

PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE DATE

BRING COMPLETED FORM TO REGISTRATION AUGUST 30

a3school.org | Academy of Arts & Academics | 5

WE GET IT—sometimes kids have to miss school. Oregon state law allows that students may be EXCUSED from school for the following reasons:• Illness, including routine, MEDICALLY NECESSARY appointments for them-

selves or immediate family members. • School sponsored activities• Religious instruction (limited and as the law allows)

IN TERMS OF ILLNESS, we try to follow this rule: “Bones, Blood, or Barf - other than that, muster up and go to school!” Generally, a parent call or note is an acceptable verification to excuse an illness (please call Wilson at (541) 744-6728). However, students who must be gone for illness reasons for more than two days in a row or are frequently absent, may be required, at the school’s discretion, to provide a doctor’s note that clearly identifies the illness and stip-ulates the reason for the absence (this is an important distinction if you plan to miss Headwaters; we will ONLY excuse it with a doctor’s certification). THE LAW ALSO ALLOWS for exceptions for pre-arranged absences, PROVIDING THE SCHOOL CAN REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE THE ABSENCE. That means we have to be able to create some sort of alternate assignments that the student can do that would meet proficiency standards. We’re generally pretty flexible about helping out with this, but we need notification at least a week in advance. We’ll want to meet with parents and the student and all the student’s teachers to come up with a project or some such activity that the student can do - as an extension of their absence - that would meet state standards in the classes as well as provide evidence of learning. We are not required to accommodate an absence that does not meet the above criteria and may, under certain circumstances, deny to give credit for the missed time.

ALSO, PLEASE NOTE that we cannot excuse arbitrary absences, irrespective of parent contact or not. If a student must be gone for what might be defined as a “family emergency” we can only excuse this with reasonable documen-tation regarding the nature of the emergency. Sorry, we don’t want to pry, but with the pressure from the federal and state departments of education about school attendance, we must ask and document. We are required by law to track attendance and intervene when a student is missing an excessive amount of class time. Further, in a school that’s heavily based in personal interactions and project work, when a kid’s not here, he/she/they is really missed.

IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT to understand what EXCUSED vs. UNEXCUSED means. Excused simply means that missing the day won’t be held against the student’s grade nor will there be a punishment, PROVIDING that the student makes up the work in whatever way the teacher or school deems suitable and equitable to the loss of time. So, for example, students who miss Head-waters FOR A MEDICAL REASON will be asked to do a community project. An unexcused absence means that neither the school nor the teacher are required to do anything to help the student make up the lost learning oppor-tunity. However, for the record, we generally don’t prefer to do that. If a kid intentionally skips a learning opportunity, lies about it, and then manipulates the situation to do less, yet get full credit, we’re pretty unsympathetic. We’re intentional about the work we do; especially high-value opportunities like Headwaters, panel presentations, concerts/performances, and Confluence. Note that these are all opportunities where if a kid is absent, he/she/they is letting down a group, not just a teacher. A3 is founded on the respect for interdependence and our policies and practice reflect that value.

Worried about the Headwaters retreat and thinking you’d rather not attend?

Before you make that decision, talk to us!

The Headwaters retreat is RE-QUIRED for all students - no exceptions. And it’s 5% of your semester grade in all of your class-es! Miss it and it will hurt! We do our best to make it as comfortable and meaningful as possible - fact is, many A3 students think it’s the best three days of the school year! That said, we do want to recog-nize any special circumstances that a student might have. We’re willing to work with the families of students with documented and demonstrated special needs to attend only part of the days or to set up special accommodations as necessary. It’s so important to us that EVERYONE attend Head-waters, that we’ll work very hard to make ABSOLUTELY sure that everyone can participate as fully as possible. If you have questions, please contact Wendy, Ed, or Mike at registration. Thanks!

ATTENDANCE: It’s job one!

If you have any questions, please contact me. Here’s my cell number: (541) 915-9150 or, of course, at my email address; mike.fisher@springfield.k12.or.us. ~Thanks, Mike

6 | Academy of Arts & Academics | a3school.org

nEW STAFF!

What you’re buying…LTD Bus Pass $30Planner & Supplies $15 Total: $45We can accept your Visa/Mastercard or Debit card

WE’VE ALWAYS PRIDED ourselves at A3 on not requiring our students to pay a lot in fees. And, up until a few years ago, the only thing that we asked families to purchase was a planner for $5, believing that having access to the information and the opportunity to get organized was well worth the cost.

However, in 2011 LTD stopped providing free bus passes. For many of our students, riding the LTD busses was not only how they got to and from school, it was frequently their transportation to other classes. It was fairly imperative that we find some way of providing these passes at a reasonable cost. With the rising costs of the planner plus additional materials we must print for classes, we need to lean on families a little to help us off-set the cost. Thus, this year, we’ll be collecting a $45 fee from each student. $30 of the fee will cover an LTD bus pass, while $15 will cover the costs of the plan-ner and additional class materials. Fee waivers: We are aware that there are several families who will have trou-ble meeting this obligation and we’d like to help, however we’ll need to ask a bit from you. If you have not yet signed up, and think you may qualify, please apply at Nutrition Services in the SPS administration building, 525 Mill Street, before Aug. 25 in order to be on the list in time for Registration. Once we have this information on file, students with Free/Reduced Lunch designation can get their bus passes free or for half price for the rest of the year.

Regardless of free/reduced lunch status, families and students can apply for financial assistance at any time during the school year through Wilson. For the rest of the year, students who qualify for free/reduced lunch will get their next passes for at least half price, or for free. For students who don’t qualify for free/reduced, but have a 3.5 GPA from the previous grade period or a 3.25 cumulative GPA, will get 50% off their next quarter pass and those with a 95% attendance rate will get an additional 50% off. Finally, please let us know if you have transportation concerns. LTD also has a car-pool matching service, plus other programs.

Pay it forward: In return for reduced fees, we hope you will give back to our A3 community by volunteering to help with our Autzen Recycling fundrais-er. Organized by our parent group (P3), this is the school’s main fundraising activity, and the money raised goes to support a wide variety of student and teacher academic needs. These have included LCC fees, text books, gradu-ation caps and gowns, J-Term expenses and even a mental health clinic, to name just a few. For information on this and additional volunteer opportuni-ties, please go to our website at a3school.org/about-us/p3/ or email Emily at emily.borden@springfield.k12.or.us for more information.

A Note OnScHOOl FEES

Ashley Banks, MathAshley is a new teacher from Western Washington Universi-ty. She has a Bachelors in Mathematics and Masters in Teaching. She recently moved

to Eugene from Bellingham, Washington and is excited to become a part of this community! She and her husband to like to spend their free time exploring in the outdoors or curling up with their kitties to watch a good Disney movie.

Emerald Crafton, Office Specialist Emerald has worked in elementary, middle and high schools, but most recently worked in the communica-tions department for

SPS, answering phones, throwing parties, and wishing she could hang out at schools more of-ten. She apologizes in advance for her singing voice, and wants to warn you that if she doesn’t know an answer she’ll Google it or make it up.

Suzanne Hess, Campus MonitorSuzanne has a BS in sociology from UO and has worked with children of all ages, but especially enjoys working with high

school kids. She has a 20-year old son, and since getting married this summer gained amazing 17-year-old twins. She’s excited to be the new campus monitor and intends to make a positive impact in any way she can here.

Erica Milkovich, HumanitiesErica is originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but has called Oregon home for more than a decade. She has three

young children, six chickens, two cats, three advanced degrees, a love of baking pies, and is thrilled to be a part of A3. She says she can’t wait to meet and work with her students and their families!

a3school.org | Academy of Arts & Academics | 7

Got Wheels?IF YOU’RE PLANNING to come to school on a bike or a skate board, you MUST lock it up in the secure area behind the school when you arrive at school. We’ll release it to you at the end of your day. Sorry, no tooling around downtown during lunch or any time during the school day. In fact, it is against the Springfi eld City code to ride a skateboard on the sidewalks any where downtown, so please be respectful and courteous.

If you’d like to drive to school, you must fi rst register your vehicle with the school at registration. Parking, however, is a bit more complicated. STUDENTS MAY NOT PARK IN THE A3/GATEWAYS PARKING LOT! Unless, you’re one of the lucky few who wins the parking space lottery, overseen by

Suzanne. Every semester, she will hold a lottery for fi ve parking spaces in the A3/GHS parking lot, good for about four months. See Suzanne at registration to sign up for the lottery. You have to sign up each semester. If you don’t get one of the coveted passes, you can purchase a parking pass from the city of Spring-fi eld that will allow you to park all day on Main Street OR you can park several blocks away in the non-monitored parking area. See the parking map on the city of Springfi eld web site for more information. Students are responsible for monitoring their park-ing and will not be excused from class to move their cars around. Students can only use their cars to get to and from school and MUST NOT transport other students under any circumstances.

Better solution: DON’T DRIVE to school if you can all avoid it. Students are issued bus passes and there is ample opportunity to get to school quickly and effi ciently from almost any where in Lane County on LTD. We get it; if you’ve got an internship or a job and need to get there directly, it just makes sense to drive.

The beginning of a new school year always seems to be a good time to pause and check in with what we do, why we do it and, most importantly, who we serve. We clarifi ed our vision and mis-sion a couple of years ago and we added, most importantly, our connection to the people who we serve and who serve as partners in our success. At A3, we continue to believe in and foster the ca-pacity for all kids - all people - to grow and improve though full-on engagement in their own learning and through the rich and vital resources that make up our com-munity. And by “resources,” we mean people. From simple part-ner discussions to panel presenta-tions, from day-long, three week deep internships to community collaborative mural designs and art installations, A3 is all about the power of people working together to achieve a common goal. And along the way, a good deal of learning happens. It’s why we have one of the highest grad-uation rates in the state.

The A3 Vision, mission, Who We Serve and How We Do It.

Vision: Every student a learner, a teacher, a leader.

Mission: To inspire learning, engage passion, and empower transformation through high academic standards and professional-level arts and science experiences.

!!!! !

!!!!Strategies:

!!!! ! ! ! !COMMUNITY

is our partner. With the help of our neighbors in the downtown core and throughout Lane County, we provide powerful student

internships, mentoring and community projects.

!! ! !PARENTS

are our key allies in helping our students reach their potential. We provide parenting resources, coaching for college entrance & financial

aid, and opportunities for parents to connect with each other.

STUDENTS are at the core of our mission. We stimulate higher level thinking through investigation and through experiential, innovative approaches to learning.

TECHNOLOGY On-line tracking of

student progress and portfolios • Easy

access to resources • Guided access to a variety of powerful

technology resources • Focus on reliable on-

line research

DIVERSITY Engage all student

populations, seeking and embracing diversity in all

pursuits • Hiring a diverse staff • Seeking truth in the sciences, humanities, and the

arts

STATURE Dual enrollment with

UO and LCC • College-ready

preparation • High graduation rates •

Model proficiency and project-based learning

• Highly qualified & recognized staff

INVOLVEMENT National, State, and

local affiliations • Active Governing and Advisory Boards • Participants in

downtown and Springfield Schools

initiatives • Community awareness through

internships

Bits & Piecesupcoming events:• Registration, August 30, A3 Main. Come any time between 9am - 4pm. It’ll take about 45 mins.

Temporary IDs and bus passes will be available. • Headwaters, Sept. 6-8, Three days, two nights. First three days of school.• Juniors & Seniors: Internship applications due by Sept. 15 to Jessica Thomas.

Recommended School Supplies: • Good attitude • Spiral notebooks, 5 to 7 • A 8 GB or larger Thumb Drive or Flash Drive • Pens, assorted colors • Pencils, a few • Art supplies, like drawing books • A nice calculator is helpful, but not necessary for every

student. • Protractor, Compass, and various math supplies • Common sense. Bring that a’ plenty!

Check with your teachers after you get into class for more specific materials that you might need.

525 Mill St.Springfield, OR 97477

The Academy of Arts & Academics,Health & Science

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

EUGENE, ORPERMIT NO. 625

www.a3school.orgwww.facebook.com/TheAcademyofArtsandAcademicswww.facebook.com/P3ParentGroup/www.jupitergrades.comAlso find us on Youtube.com at A3 School

Volunteers Needed:

Autzen Recycle Crew: Parent and student volunteers needed for first home games on Sept. 2 and 9.

Autzen recycling is P3 Parent Group’s largest fundraiser. We need about 30 volunteers at the beginning of each Ducks game to help attendees recycle their materials. Work is finished by the end of the first quarter, and if you’re a Ducks fan you can watch the rest of the game for free.

Please email A3RecycleCrew@gmail.com for more information.

Parent Volunteers for the Headwaters Retreat Sept. 6—8: See page 2 for more information.