Dear Readers:
An interesting and challenging part of our middle school's yearly planning involves the Associated Student Body's promotion of "Spirit Week," where each day, students dress according to a theme.

Not only does the whole idea create some controversy within the staff (with some maintaining that the ensuing excitement detracts from the learning process, and others claiming that it promotes a shared identification with and loyalty to the school), but also the suggested themes for dress up have created some disagreement.

For example, a day when students could dress in camouflage was variously seen as honoring relatives who had served in the armed forces or as promoting an underlying theme of aggression and violence. Other themes might result in more noise than usual or in the use of clothes and body decorations (such as glitter spray) which could be toxic.

I would be interested in getting a dialogue going about this issue. What are other schools doing? Have any of you designed such a week around promoting positive, peaceful themes? What do you see as the pitfalls and advantages of special dress days?

Marilyn Firth, Counselor
Jefferson Middle School
Jefferson, Oregon 97352

Send your responses by e-mail to nwedufeedback@nwrel.org or by traditional mail to The Editors at the address below).

Running Out of Ink

Dear Editor:
I discovered your magazine by chance. I feel so fortunate to have done so. I have printed so many articles my printer may blow up or certainly run out of ink! I have found the magazine as a whole to be both educational and useful. Your words echo many of my thoughts and concerns as an educator, art therapist, artist, and writer. I am forwarding your Web address to my colleagues. Thank you for a fantastic, informative publication.

Sally Brannon, Counselor
Mayo, South Carolina

AN INVITATION TO OUR READERS

With the publication of the following letter from one of our readers, we hope to initiate a regular column devoted to your thoughts and ideas on the world of education. Our wish is to open a spirited dialogue on these pages, where you can trade opinions and share promising practices with your colleagues around the Northwest and beyond.

Topics we feature in the magazine are just a jumping-off place. We'd also like to hear about other issues you confront in your day-to-day working lives. The letter below grew out of our Spring 1999 magazine on school safety, but takes a unique turn into a novel aspect of the subject-one we didn't touch on in the publication.

Write to us! You may send your letters by e-mail to nwedufeedback@nwrel.org. Or you may send them by traditional mail to:

The Editors
Northwest Education Magazine
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
101 S.W. Main Street, Suite 500
Portland, Oregon 97204

We hope to hear from you.

Lee Sherman, Editor
Suzie Boss, Associate Editor

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