http://www.openmeadow.org/open en Open Meadow Copyright 1971 - 2012 Open Meadow 2012-02-03T23:44:43+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/too_early_for_spring_cleaning/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/too_early_for_spring_cleaning/#When:23:44:43Z Got a new Xbox 360 for the holidays? Looking to clean out your closets and get rid of that oh so old Wii from 2010? Are your hardly ever worn basketball shoes, rain boots or hiking boots covered in dust and feeling lonely? Too much tea cluttering your cupboard that you can’t find the sugar for your coffee in the morning? Got tickets to an upcoming local performance that you can’t make after all? What’s that you’re wondering… why, yes! Open Meadow IS looking for these and a few other donated items that have been recently requested by our programs and more than 900 youth. If you are able to help out, or have a friend who is eager to get rid of that karaoke machine that just never quite made it out to the living room, then please consider donating an item from our wish list. We promise it will get used!  Contact (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at 503.488.5187 for further details. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2012-02-03T23:44:43+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/student_scholarships_from_the_skanner/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/student_scholarships_from_the_skanner/#When:23:15:52Z Last week, two Open Meadow High School students received $1,000 scholarships from The Skanner Foundation to pursue their higher education. The awards were presented to our students at The Skanner’s 26th Annual Martin Luther King Breakfast. Congratulations to Kelsey and Jeremiah for the great work toward their post-secondary success! Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2012-01-24T23:15:52+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/no_longer_colorblind/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/no_longer_colorblind/#When:18:11:02Z A recent Portland Tribune article by Jennifer Anderson features Open Meadow’s leading work as one of ten Portland Beacon Schools driving the local initiative to close the racial achievement gap. We are proud of the work of our staff across programs and excited to partner with our students, families, and Portland Public Schools in this critical work.     Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2012-01-19T18:11:02+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/join_the_celebration/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/join_the_celebration/#When:20:02:45Z Open Meadow is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year. It’s been 40 years of memorable moments for students, parents, staff, volunteers, sponsors and the whole community. We’d like everyone to help us celebrate these Open Meadow “moments”. Open Meadow has been special to us for so many reasons. It has been full of moments we treasure and moments that remain a huge part of us. We want to celebrate these moments and gather them. Josh Monda, an Open Meadow Board member and alumni from the Class of 1999, has started a facebook page where you can like the page and share your Open Meadow stories, photos (old and current), video, audio, written notes and quotes from the last 40 years. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Open-Meadow-Moments/285946158115335 For more information on the great ways Open Meadow is celebrating this huge milestone contact Amy Smith at Amy.Smith@openmeadow.org Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2011-12-27T20:02:45+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/busy_betties/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/busy_betties/#When:21:06:41Z The Betties 360 group at Open Meadow High School have been busy this semester with activities that are empowering them with skills including increased focus, self confidence, stress management and coping strategies, preparedness and more… From exploring their cooking abilities to learning yoga, archery and self defense, these young women are on the move. They’ve been offered programs such as Wilderness First Aid and Banking for Life, and have gone out into the field to an urban farm. Most recently they visited with Daimler Trucks North America on Swan Island. There the girls enjoyed a tour of how semi-trucks are designed and built. Seven female engineers led them through the test center including the shaker room (where a truck is put on a big shaker to simulate rough roads to test all components of the cab structure), the wind tunnel and the design studio where prototypes are built out of clay. The purpose of this trip was to expose the girls to the idea of design and engineering. Many of the OM girls love to create, draw and design things, and this trip showed them how they can use those interests for a career. Also, the girls greatly benefited by seeing and interacting with a diverse group of smart and capable women who all love what they do for work. Thanks to Daimler for being such wonderful hosts to our young women! Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2011-12-16T21:06:41+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/open_meadow_students_sing_praises/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/open_meadow_students_sing_praises/#When:20:38:24Z Open Meadow students and staff show up at Council and SING PRAISES of the city’s support of Youth Pass. Continuation of this pass means that not only can Open Meadow’s 24 graduating seniors get to school to graduate, but so can the other 1,600 graduating seniors who live in poverty across the city and the 6,000 other high schoolers who live in poverty. And not only can they get to school, but like Evan who testified to Council today, they can take advantage of distance volunteer and work-based learning opportunities like Evan has at the Oregon Zoo to extend their learning and give back to the community. The wheels on the TriMet busses say – GRADUATE! Thank you City of Portland, TriMet and Portland Public Schools! Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2011-12-14T20:38:24+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/coffee_break/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/coffee_break/#When:23:54:07Z Need a coffee break during this cold month of December? Stop by Fuel Cafe at 1452 NE Alberta Street and check out the artwork of Open Meadow High School students currently on display! Fuel Cafe displays new local art every month and this month they’ve chosen to exhibit some of the artwork of our students at Open Meadow. Their original art ranges from sketches to paintings to photography. Our students’ artwork will be on display until December 28th, 2011. So stop by the café between 7AM-7PM and grab a cup of steaming Stumptown coffee while you admire the creativity of our students in the bright and welcoming atmosphere of Fuel Cafe. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2011-12-09T23:54:07+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/banking_on_gratitude/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/banking_on_gratitude/#When:22:20:20Z Before Open Meadow High School’s students left on their Thanksgiving break, the students had the opportunity, on Wednesday, November 23rd, to take some time out of their day to share a meal with their fellow classmates and advocates to celebrate the upcoming holiday. Open Meadow’s Thanksgiving lunch was prepared and donated this year by Capital Pacific Bank. Volunteers from Capital Pacific Bank and the high school spent several hours the morning before our Thanksgiving lunch setting up and decorating the dining area, preparing the food, serving it to the students, and cleaning up afterward. This Thanksgiving meal was an excellent way for our students to celebrate the beginning of their Thanksgiving holiday and it couldn’t’ have happened without our hardworking and generous volunteers. Clearly, Open Meadow Schools have a lot to be thankful for this season. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2011-12-05T22:20:20+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/lean_on_me/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/lean_on_me/#When:22:23:56Z Open Meadow Middle School takes pride in fostering a sense of community on campus. On any given day a visitor who walks into the building might find our students leaning on each other, both literally and figuratively. One avenue for building this sense of community happens during unique experiences that allow our youth to be expressive and showcase their talents. Last quarter Open Meadow Middle Schoolers embraced the opportunity to take a piano class as part of their schedule. An excited group of students immersed themselves in this keyboarding journey every Wednesday. At the heart of each class, students learned basic music theory and a song, which they practiced each week.  Week after week, their confidence increased and their skills honed. By the end of a few short months the class offered their first public performance. And the song “Lean on Me” echoed appropriately through the halls…  Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2011-11-17T22:23:56+00:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/commissioner_saltzman_visits_step_up/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/commissioner_saltzman_visits_step_up/#When:23:59:38Z Commissioner Dan Saltzman and the staff from the Portland Children’s Levy came out to visit the Step Up program at Madison High School on Monday, November 7th. They were treated to a student tour and some rich conversation with parents, Madison Principal Petra Callin, Don Barney volunteering from the Portland Pearl Rotary, and Open Meadow staff. We shared data that included 100% retention of Madison High School students – which is significantly higher than its mainstream dropout rate – and the fact that 75% of Step Up freshman passed all core classes which gave a significant lift to the overall 59% rate for mainstream students across the district for this Key Milestone measurement. The Portland Children’s Levy supports 279 youth across three Portland high schools receiving extended year and extended day supports. As one parent said, “It made the difference for my daughter – she has completely changed in her relationship to school. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2011-11-08T23:59:38+00:00