Dear Vernon Families and Friends,
The Portland Public School District and the union representing District educators, Portland Association of Teachers (PAT), are negotiating the union contract. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached in the next few days, I wanted to send some updates about what would happen if a strike were to occur. All of this information can also be found on the PPS Family Resources website.
Nutrition Services: We will provide free grab and go meals for all children 1-18, during the strike. Meals will be available for pickup on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 11:30 am- 1:00pm, beginning on Wednesday, November 1st.-For a map of the closest sites to your location if you are living far from Vernon can be found HERE
Technology and Academics: Schools will be closed to student instruction but students have an opportunity to enrich their learning by accessing digital resources and supplemental academic learning from home. Quickcards and computers that were requested are being sent home on Tuesday, 10/31. There are lessons on their Seesaw that they can access, in addition to resources like i-Ready, Tumblebooks, Sora, etc. Your quickcard will take you to the landing page where these resources can be accessed. Middle grades students can access online resources here.
Additional Student Supports: All childcare services provided at schools will be canceled as long as schools are closed to the public due to the strike. This includes early childcare and before and after school care. PPS Student Health Centers at Benson, Cleveland, Franklin, Jefferson, McDaniel, and Roosevelt will remain operational during the strike. Services will be provided both in person and virtually, including new patient appointments. A full list, including clothing closets, food pantries, and accessing mental health services can be found HERE.
Additional updates to bargaining will be sent home from PPS through the Remind app. I’ll also send these to our school community through -newsletter, school messenger, Facebook, and Remind.
I remain hopeful that a negotiated agreement will be reached.
Regards,
Ben Keefer
Principal
School Office Hours
7:30am – 4:30pm – School Office Hours
PPS Family Resources This Student and Family Resource Guide provides information to help families and communities prepare for student learning and access essential services during a possible school closure due to an educator strike.
SUN will run October 23rd - December 14th
Questions?
Tatiana Andre
Sun Program Manger - Eastside, Self Enhancement, Inc.
Empoderando Familias
This free Spanish language event represents a collaboration between all three counties in the metro area and Portland Public Schools. Empoderando Familias is focused on giving Spanish speaking families access to information about parenting for prevention of substance use. Strategies that are going to be highlighted include how to advocate for yourself in English speaking systems, setting boundaries for your kids that help them to grow up healthy, and how to maintain relationships and connections through the teen years. The event will also cover information about commonly used substances among youth. The Multnomah County event location is McDaniel High School.
Our IB Learner Profile Trait this Month is Open-Minded
Why does intellectual humility matter?
"When you approach life with intellectual humility, you open your mind to learning. You are able to learn from opposing views and have more constructive discussions, even when you disagree. No matter how old you are, with intellectual humility you become wiser. It helps you be less judgmental of others, learn more in school, and be a better leader."
from a Blog Post Character Lab written by Tenelle Porter an assistant professor at Rowan University
