The Cheetah Coalition #3

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Dear Atkinson Families,

I plan to have Parent Coffee events in english and spanish every month on the following schedule:

• Thursday, October 5, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, October 6, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish
• Thursday, November 16, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, November 17, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish
• Thursday, December 7, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, December 8, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish
• Thursday, January 4, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, January 5, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish
• Thursday, February 1, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, February 2, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish
• Thursday, March 7, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, March 8, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish
• Thursday, April 11 , 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, April 12, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish
• Thursday, May , 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, May 3, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish
• Thursday, June 6, 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - English
• Friday, June 7 , 8:50 – 9:50 a.m. - Spanish

SAVE THE DATES!

Debbie Armendariz

darmenda@pps.net

Atkinson Elementary School Principal

We have two important safety drills coming up in the next two weeks:

• Team Response — Team Response is activated when there is a situation such as a medical emergency that requires staff to control the movement of students inside the building while the incident is being handled by the team. Students will be instructed to return to classrooms and then resume business as usual.
• Lockdown — Lockdown is activated when there is a threat to safety inside the school building. Students will be asked to go into a classroom space, stay out of sight, and maintain silence while practicing “lock, lights, out of sight."

We understand that these drills can be stressful, but they are important for us to practice in case of actual emergencies. Please help us by preparing your students for them in advance, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

COVID-19 is no longer a reportable illness unless we meet a certain absentee threshold. Students and staff are still encouraged to mask if they are experiencing any symptoms of respiratory illness or are treating another individual with symptoms of respiratory illness. Please note that public health still recommends that for ten (10) days following symptom onset (or test date if the individual does not have symptoms), individuals wear a mask around others and avoid contact with individuals who are at high risk of severe disease.

If your student is ill, we utilize the ODE/OHA Communicable Disease Guidance for Schools (see below) to provide you with a return to school date.

PPS will continue to offer free COVID-19 testing options to students in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority COVID-19 Testing in Oregon’s K-12 Schools Program:

• Onsite Diagnostic (symptom-based) Testing: For staff and students who develop symptoms on site. A signed 2023–24 Parent/Guardian consent form is required before a student may be tested at school. The Abbott BinaxNOW tests have a built-in quality control system which must be verified each time a test is run to confirm functionality.
• iHealth/ BinaxNOW (at-home) Tests: Students may receive a rapid COVID-19 test for at home use if they develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or if they have been exposed to COVID-19 outbreak at school and families request one. OHA has made a limited number of tests available to schools. Test users can check the lot expiration date using the iHealth COVID-19 Test Shelf Life Extension Sheet or look up the new expiration date for iHealth tests HERE.
• School-Community COVID-19 Testing Resources: The MCHD Student Health Centers and the OHSU Benson Wellness Center are also great resources for students to access primary and mental health care as well as COVID-19 testing, vaccines and boosters.

Western Pest Management will be deploying rodent bait stations around the outside of our school. The bait stations will be affixed to the ground, and will contain a rodenticide. The application will be in place from beginning roughly September 13 through December 31, 2023. See this notification letter for more information.

Portland Water Bureau crews will be installing a new water main in our neighborhood soon (SE Clinton St. from 58th Ave. to the Clinton City Park parking lot entrance). The work will take about three weeks to complete. We don't know an exact start date yet, but likely in the next 2–3 weeks. Work hours will be Mon. – Fri. 7 a.m.–6 p.m., and may affect parking both on the street and in the parking lot.

Each year parents and/or guardians are asked to review and update the information on file for their children (students). This information can be reviewed, edited and submitted online via PPS ParentVUE.

Benefits of verifying online via ParentVUE:

• Complete yearly verification of your student's information
• You can update your communication and language preferences
• Ensures your school has the most up to date information
• Saves paper and time

Indian Education is excited to begin working with American Indian/Alaskan Native students and families! If you are interested in enrolling, please fill out THIS FORM. Let the office know if you need help printing out a copy.

Check out the newest PTA Newsletter HERE!

Join Safe Routes to School in celebrating walking and rolling to school with students around the globe on October 4, 2023. Grab your walking shoes, skateboard, bike or other wheels and kick off the school year by getting outside and exploring a route to your school. Learn more HERE.

We continue to observe students being welcoming (our value for September) this month! We've seen students help one another out at recess, advocate for each other, be kind, remind others of our school expectations, and more!

• Hispanic Heritage Month — September 15–October 15
• Wednesday, September 20 — Back to School Night, 6:30 p.m.
  
• Friday, September 22 — Amigos meeting, 9 a.m.
• Monday, September 25 — K–2nd Picture Day
• Tuesday, September 26 — 3rd–5th Picture Day
• Sept 25–27 — PTA/Amigos Direct Appeal
• Thursday, October 5 — Principal's Coffee in English, 8:50 a.m.
• Friday, October 6 — Principal's Coffee in Spanish, 8:50 a.m.