The Guardian Gazette

Parent(s) and Guardian(s):

We have a bond measure for voters that will decide if we are rebuilding a new Ida B. Wells High School. The deadline to vote is May 20th and I want to encourage you to please submit your ballot.

If you are curious about what the current Ida B. Wells High School looks like on the inside, please come and visit us on Wednesday, April 30th from 4-6pm where we will be giving tours of the building to you and community members who want to see. Our BORA architects and our PPS Office of School Modernization will also be here to answer questions and show renditions of the current design of our new building. Additionally, we will have a stand at the Sunday, May 4th Hillsdale Farmers Market with our BORA architects and PPS Office of School Modernization. Looking forward to seeing you at one or both of these events.

The Ida B. Wells Booster Club has been working very hard to plan and host this year's spring auction, "Spring into A(u)ction," on Friday, April 25th at the Multnomah Athletic Club. I am eagerly anticipating this event, where our community will come together to raise funds for Ida B. Wells athletics, clubs, and programs.

Every dollar raised will stay within our IBW community, enriching our students' experiences. The event features a fantastic catalog of donations from our community. If you see a package donated by the Makerspace Club, GSA, or Cheer, the money raised from that item will go directly back to the respective organization. You can find great items for yourself, such as sports tickets, restaurant gift cards, or vacation stays, while supporting our students.

This is truly a school community fundraiser. With ongoing cuts in the PPS budget, your support is more crucial than ever. You can purchase tickets here. I hope to see you there on April 25th! Your generosity and support of IBW are greatly appreciated.

Principal Coning

Mark your calendars and see below for further information

April 14 - Booster Club Meeting

April 19 - Welding & Cocktails for 2025 Grad Night

April 21 - PTA Meeting

April 25 - IBWHS Auction
April 30 - School Modernization Event/Tours
May 3 - Prom
May 4 - School Modernization Team at Hillsdale Farmer's Market
May 5 - 9 Staff Appreciation Week
May 7 - Community Equity Club Meeting
May 10 - Electronics Recycling Event
May 12 - Booster Club Meeting
May 17 - Spring into Action! Campus Clean-Up Day!
June 4 - Class of 2025 Graduation

If you haven't had a chance to look at the newsletters from earlier this week:
The Guardian Gazette, Student News, https://secure.smore.com/n/s92pb
IBW Athletics Weekly, https://secure.smore.com/n/1j0m7
Senior Newsletter, March 5 https://secure.smore.com/n/er9kx

And always be sure and check the Trivory Calendar for more dates!

https://trivory.com/ibw/calendar

It’s Time to PACK THE MAC! Join your fellow Ida B. Wells families Friday, April 25th @ the Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC). Proceeds from the event benefit programs at IBW. All funds raised stay directly in our community from athletics teams, to band, to theater to Model United Nations club! This is our big fundraiser to make sure IBW has the resources to continue our strong performance and support our students. Get your tickets here.

Let’s SPRING Into AuCTION!

Here is a sneak peek of what we have in store for you for this event:

• VACATION HOMES! - beaches, mountains and Mexico too!

• WINE and WHISKEY - tours, tastings and bottles galore!

• TICKETS! TICKETS! TICKETS! - Blazers, Timbers, Thorns, Ducks and Beavers

• PDX EVENTS - The Wedge VIP Event, Portland Fashion Week, PDX Center Stage

• Spa, Golf, Photography, and more!

• SPIN to WIN- $25 a spin to win a prize valued between $25 to $200+, you can't lose!

• Heads or Tails game to support IBW Athletics

• Grub Grab-fantastic gift cards for purchase for your favorite area restaurants to support IBW programs.

• Wine Wall to support PTA

• Complete catalog here

Spring into Au(c)tion Sponsors:

Community Sponsors:

Garfinkle Orthodontics

Gills Point S Tire & Auto Service

Molly & Tod Johnston
The Carr Family
Paloma Clothing

The Booster Club is in need of volunteers for concessions this spring! The schedule is posted here for Track and Baseball, LAX will be added soon. https://signup.com/go/ycboLia

Seeking wine donations for the IBW Auction to support the IBW PTA!
7 - 9 pm on Friday, April 25th at the Multnomah Athletic Club, we will have a Wine Wall at the Boosters' Auction where folks can purchase bottles. We are asking for wine bottles valued at $15 or more to benefit the IBW PTA. Bottles will be blinded so you may get lucky and “win” a bottle valued at $50 or more!! To arrange donation drop-offs beginning on or after April 1st, please contact Kristin Covert at idabwellspta@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting Ida B. Wells High School!

PTA Members' Meeting

5:30 - 7 pm on Monday, April 21st in the IBW Library, we will discuss final preparations for the IBW Booster's Club Auction, advocacy action plans for the upcoming bond renewal vote on May 20, 2025, and hear updates on scholarships, fundraising, Grad Night and the planned PickleBall Tournament. Come hear what's going on and get involved!

Tell your neighbors to VOTE YES! for the PPS Bond Renewal on May 20th!

Learn more about the bond renewal proposal that will be on the May 20th ballot. PPS has more information about the bond proposal here, and there is more information supporting the bond at YesPDXSchools.com.

Hi IBW Community!

We are looking for Chaperones for Prom 2025, which will be held at the Melody Ballroom on May 3rd from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Chaperones are asked to arrive by 6:00 PM to help with setup and receive event instructions. This is a fantastic opportunity to support our students and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. If you are interested in volunteering as a chaperone, please complete the attached form. We greatly appreciate your time and consideration in helping make this event a memorable and successful one!

Use this Google form (or the QR code) for chaperone sign-up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMYpTwSjywIJhAn0Lh7SMGZcn6TloCXGxkimvVVGG7hWninw/viewform?usp=header

It takes lots of contributions to make this fun, fresh event a success. Please check out the link for donations needed and find details in the signup header. https://volunteersignup.org/RACPD

Questions? Message Jessica at jess_jon@msn.com.

This spring, purchase beautiful spring bulbs for your garden or as a gift and support the Ida B. Wells High School Band! 50% of all online sales will go directly to our fundraising efforts for the band’s upcoming trip to Southern California in the spring of 2026. Shipments will begin the first week of April, and the fundraiser will run through May 15th. All orders are placed online, making it easy to support our cause while adding vibrant blooms to your garden. Your purchase will help our students participate in the Disneyland Parade and an instrumental workshop, while also providing scholarships and reducing costs for the entire group. Plant the seeds for a great cause – thank you for your support!

http://Idabwellshsband.fpfundraising.com

Spring is here, and it's time to get your photo buttons for Spring Sports Teams and Clubs! As a fundraiser for the Ida B. Wells HS Band, we're offering custom photo buttons – 2 for $10 or 1 for $7.

To order a button featuring your student, please email the following:

• A photo of your student in their uniform (waist-up and further back shots work best!)
• The number of buttons you'd like

We already have headshots for Baseball and Men's Tennis athletes. If you have a photo of your student that you would like to use for the button, please email it to Erica Caldwell ecaldwell@pps.net. To make your payment, please visit schoolpay.com

If you're a parent willing to help take photos or assist with collecting funds for your team, please reach out to Erica Caldwell ecaldwell@pps.net

Save the date! On Saturday, May 10th, from 7-10 pm, we’re hosting a fun night out at The Cider Mill. The Ellis Street Band will be playing hits from the 60s to the 90s, and we’ll have a taco bar! This is an adult-only event, so grab some friends and come enjoy good music and delicious food. Don’t forget to RSVP so we know how much food to order.

Come cheer on our Guardians as they march in the Starlight Parade on May 31st! It’s always a fun and exciting event, and we would love for you to join us and show your support as they march through the streets of downtown Portland all lit up!

The Ida B. Wells electronics recycling drive is back - right in time for spring cleaning!

Get rid of your unwanted electronics and support the IBW Class of 2025. The list below shows items that we can and can't take.

When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 10, 2025

Where: Ida B. Wells High School, 1151 S.W. Vermont St. (parking lot by tennis courts)

Suggested donation: $5/item or $25/vehicle, cash or check only

With the help of our Positive Charge Club, we are once again holding a Food Drive this Spring to support the SW Hope Community Food Drive for Neighborhood House. The drive began on March 5th and we are jumping in for the final weeks to help them have a strong finish! The drive ends on Sunday, April 20th.

Please bring in non-perishable canned food to drop in bins that are located at both main entrances of the schools. 9th graders, please stay-tuned for a competition with your cohorts. There will also be bins available at various sporting events and finally we have a SchoolPay item opened so you can make direct cash donations. https://pps.schoolpay.com/pay/for/SW-Hope-Food-Drive-for-Neighborhood-Hous/Sc6nTaD or use the QR code above.

Together we have a goal of donating 10,000lbs of food through canned food and cash donations. We have the ability to make a huge difference! Please see the letter below from Neighborhood House on the challenges they currently are facing. And a HUGE thank you to our Ceramics classes for donating bowls they created for the Empty Bowls event that was held on March 15th

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Friends,

It was a good news/bad news kind of week at the Neighborhood House Free Food Market.

The Challenge We Face:
In February, food donations to the Market dropped by 38% compared to February last year, and dropped by half the monthly average in 2024.

At the same time, federal funding freezes at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are taking a toll. USDA-funded programs supply 17% of the food distributed by the Oregon Food Bank (OFB)—amounting to 5.8 million pounds of food for OFB partners like us.

Last week, our weekly delivery from OFB was cut in half, and truckloads of essentials like milk, cheese, eggs, frozen meat, and fresh produce were canceled.

And there’s more cause for concern.

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on budget resolutions that include cuts to SNAP and other nutrition programs. If passed, these cuts would directly impact more than 700,000 Oregonians who rely on SNAP—and put additional strain on food banks like ours.

A Bright Spot of Hope:
Despite these challenges, our community continues to show incredible generosity.

The Empty Bowls event on March 15 was a tremendous success, raising $6,000! We had nearly double the amount of soup available as last year, and it still sold out in just 36 hours. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased hand-crafted bowls, enjoyed delicious soup, and made this event such a success.

Thanks to Empty Bowls and other generous donors like you, SW Hope has already raised more than $35,000 toward our $80,000 goal. With nearly four weeks to go, we can close the gap—but we need your help.

Please help spread the word!!!!

Join us on Saturday, May 17th, from 9:00 AM to noon for our annual Spring Campus Clean-Up! Community members, students, parents, and staff are all invited to lend a hand in making our campus shine for the end of the school year. Bring your gardening gloves, pruning clippers, edgers, and any other favorite gardening tools to help us spruce up our grounds. A delicious lunch will be provided at noon for all volunteers as a thank you for your hard work! Please help spread the word and join us for a fun and productive morning. A huge thank you to our community partners, Greater Portland Bible Church and SW Trails, for their continued support!

As required by the Oregon Department of Education, we will be administering OSAS (Oregon Statewide Assessment System) testing to all Juniors in April. These standardized tests assess how well students are mastering content in key subject areas (ELA, Math, & Science) aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

WHY

Why should students take the test and do their best?

• The Ida B. Wells Report Card: The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) rates all schools throughout the state. ODE will produce report cards of all schools based, in part, on OSAS performance. Lower participation and performance can negatively affect school ratings and can present an inaccurate view of our student’s achievement at Ida B. Wells (see ODE for last year’s Ida B. Wells report card)

• Learning Progress: The OSAS acts as a snapshot of your child’s progress that may be considered along with other pieces of information to determine your child’s academic success

• Student and System Assessment: A balanced assessment system offers all students, especially historically underserved students, opportunities to demonstrate their progress. Ultimately, a balanced assessment system creates a shared understanding among educators and a more transparent process for parents to access and understand their student’s progress throughout their educational career. If OSAS results demonstrate that students are not meeting standards, PPS will explore why and explore potential solutions to make the necessary adjustments for improvements at a district-wide level.

WHEN

OSAS testing will happen in your student’s regular classrooms during the following weeks:

• English Language Arts - Week of April 7 (est. 2 class periods)

• Science - Week of April 14 (est. 1 class period)

• Math - Week of April 21 (est. 1 class period)

WHAT STUDENTS DO

–JUNIORS must bring their CHARGED PPS chromebooks for testing!

–All students whether testing or not, will report to their regular classroom as there will be class for all.

–These are normal days for classes (i.e. there is NO “special schedule”). As always, see Trivory for bell schedules and daily events.

On December 19, the PPS District office sent this message to families of students in grade 11 with the ODE’s 30 Day Notice of Testing with Opt Out Form for English and Math and separate Science form and link to exemption forms and translations.

To learn more about OSAS please visit PPS’ Assessment Main Page.

Get a jumpstart on the new school year! Mark your calendars now for our essential Back to School Business Days! Pick up your student photo, ID with a FREE Trimet bus pass, and your class schedule.

• Freshmen (August 18th): 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM & 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM. Enjoy a special school tour led by our leadership students.
• Sophomores (August 19th): 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Juniors (August 19th): 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
• Seniors (August 20th): 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
• Make-Up Registration (August 20th): 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

The 2025-2026 School Calendar has been approved by the PPS Board of Education. More information is included in this Smore Newsletter from the District https://secure.smore.com/n/ny109 including PDF versions in all supported languages.

Start with 311 as your single point of access to help with any questions or local government service needs within Multnomah County.
7 days a week - 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. (excluding federal holidays)
Call: 311 / 503-823-4000
Email: 311@portlandoregon.gov
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SWPCB rehearses in the Ida B. Wells High School band room, is led by the Wells band director, Nick Caldwell, and uses the Wells percussion instruments (as well as some wind instruments). Last year, the band completed its fundraising efforts to purchase a much-needed new set of chimes for the percussion section. The old chimes were donated to Robert Gray Middle School in southwest Portland.

This year’s fundraising goal is a new vibraphone. The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. According to band director Nick Caldwell, the current vibraphone is 68 years old. “It came with the building,” he said. The original and current Wells High School facility was built in 1957 (previously known as Wilson). The building is slated for remodeling starting fall 2026. The vibraphone was determined to be the next priority in terms of instrument updates, both for the Wells band and SWPCB. “While it still works, the sound isn’t what it could or should be,” said percussion section leader and assistant conductor Kevin Love.

Some new concert vibraphones sell for as much as $10,000. The band is exploring various brands in its search for a new set.

The band’s spring concert takes place May 4 at 5 pm at the Multnomah Arts Center. The program features works by American composers, including two famous and popular pieces by Aaron Copland, “Appalachian Spring” and “Fanfare for the Common Man.” Other works include “Beautiful Oregon,” an exhilarating, lush contemporary piece by James Barnes. Since the concert takes place on Star Wars Day (May the Fourth), the program also includes a lengthy and challenging medley of music from the Star Wars movies. Admission is free, and donations are appreciated. Pizza, salad and beverages will be available, including microbrews from Level Beer.