Whitman Family Newsletter

August 31, 2023

Greetings from the Principal

What a wonderful (and unexpectedly rainy!) start to the school year! Congratulations to 5th grade, who had 100% attendance on the first day of school!

We are striving this year for every student to have strong attendance, as regular attendance supports students to build strong relationships with their peers and to grow academically. Our “First 30 Days Attendance Challenge” runs now through October 10, with awards for students and classes who have over 90% attendance (3 or fewer absences) during that time period!

Thank you families for everything you do to get your children here every day! If you have questions about bus routes or anything else related to attendance, please call our office and we’d be happy to help.

Students received their 23-24 Whitman T-shirts today! Tomorrow, Friday 9/1 is Whitman Pride Spirit Day–we encourage everyone to wear their new shirts!

We hope to see you all at Back to School Night on Thursday, September 7 from 5:30 - 7:00!

Sincerely,

Ms. Thompson

Announcements

We are excited to be able to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students at Whitman again this year!

We do play outside in all types of weather, including mild to moderate rain, so please make sure your child has a jacket or other appropriate clothing on cold or rainy days. If you’d like support finding rain gear or winter clothing, we’re happy to help! Just reach out to our Social Worker Nicole Costello or stop by the office. We recommend that you write your child’s name on the tag of their sweatshirts, coats, or jackets, so that clothing can be returned to them if misplaced.

The PPS 23-24 Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook is available online now! Please come see us in the office if you would like a printed copy.

We will be having some work done on our parking lot from Friday, September 8, through Monday, September 18. The contractors have told us that the pass through should still remain open for drop off, but please use caution and obey any signage that is posted during that time.

As fall and winter cold and flu seasons approach, we encourage you to check out the Family Guide for Preventing Contagious Illness in Schools for guidance about when to send your child to school and when to keep them home.

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Upcoming Events

Event Information

Back to School Night

Back to School Night is Thursday, September 7th from 5:30 - 7:00! Pizza will be served! Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation provided! This is a great opportunity for you to visit your child's classroom and have them give you a tour of all the important places in our school! Back to School Night also serves as our annual Title 1 Meeting, and we will have optional sessions about our ESL and TAG programming.

5:00 Doors open and pizza time begins!

5:30 Principal’s remarks

5:45 Classroom open house begins

7:00 Doors close for the evening

When?

Thursday, Sep 7, 2023, 05:30 PM

Where?

Whitman Elementary School, Southeast Flavel Street, Portland, OR, USA

location_on Open maps

District News

Dear PPS Community,

Portland Public Schools invites you to apply to join the Community Budget Review Committee (CBRC). Each year, the CBRC reviews and makes recommendations on how the district spends its dollars towards student achievement. The application is now open and the due date for the application is September 22, 2023.

The CBRC reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the Superintendent's Proposed Budget and any other budgetary issues the CBRC or the Board identify. The CBRC also reviews the allocation and expenditure of Local Option Levy funds.

Please visit the CBRC website for additional information.

Application

APPLICATION DUE DATE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

What will I be responsible for?

● The CBRC reviews and provides observations and recommendations to the Board of Education on the Proposed Budget.

● The CBRC reviews the allocation and expenditure of Local Option Levy funds.

● The CBRC generally meets on a monthly basis during the course of the budget development season, November through June, and additional meetings may be scheduled as needed.

Who will make up the CBRC?

The CBRC is typically composed of eight to twelve volunteer members appointed by the PPS Board of Education to three-year terms, with student members serving one-year terms. Currently we are seeking:

● Three members for three-year terms ending June 30, 2026

● Student members for one-year terms ending June 30, 2024

For more information, please contact Alexandra Martin at amartin5@pps.net.

Materials

CBRC Overview

CBRC Charter

2023-24 CBRC Proposed Budget Review

2022-23 CBRC Local Option Levy Review

Budget Principles Adopted by the Board