Hosford Middle School

Looking for way to engage in service today? Check out this list.

Congratulations to Oli Borok for being selected as a participant in the 2025 All-State Middle School Band. Oli, along with over 500 students from around the state, auditioned back in October to be a part of this 150 piece ensemble. Oli spent two days working with one of the most renowned conductors and M.S. music educators from Texas, Darcy Williams. It culminated in an amazing performance on Friday at the OMEA music educators conference in Eugene in front of music teachers and families from all over Oregon.

Mr. Johnston and the Hosford Husky community are so very proud of Oli! Congratulations!!

New:

• Important Dates
• C.A.R.E Art Sale
• Forecasting Update for High Schools (8th Graders)
• Track Needs You!
• MESD Newsletter
• SEED Survey Notice
• Iceland & Hosford 2026
• Blosser Institute Parent Workshops

Reminders:

• Oregon Game Project Challenge
• New After School Activities
• Forecasting
• Pencils Please
• PTSA Treasurer - We need you!
• Standards Based Grading - District Wide
• Oregon Civics Bee
• Special Education Recruitment Day
• Cognizart Opportunity

• Jewish Student Union Dates
• Baseball and Softball Registration

• Logging into Canvas @ Home

• Outdoor School Dates & Information - 6th Grade
• The Greater Middle East Student Union

• Student Vaccinations

• Parent Resource
• After School Activities

• Join the Hosford Community Loop
• Donations

January 20th - Martin Luther King Day - No School

January 21st - Cleveland HS Forecasting Due at Hosford

January 22nd - Franklin HS Forecasting Information Shared with Students (not sure of the due date yet)

January 24th - End of Quarter 2

January 27th & 28th - No School (Grading and Planning Day for Staff)

January 28th - Care Art Sale Cleveland HS 5 - 7 pm

Cleveland Forecasting Update:

Please see here for Cleveland's complete forecasting presentation with links and video instructions. Forecasting is due in studentvue on this Tuesday the 21st and will be checked by Cleveland counselors before finalizing.

Franklin High School Update:

FHS will be at Hosford Tuesday, January 30th. Families may preview the presentation here.

Transfer applications:

Lottery results are still pending. Students who have applied for a transfer to another school are encouraged to forecast for the current school listed on studentvue (their neighborhood school). When decisions about next year are made, studentvue will be updated to the transfer school and we can reforecast*

Please reach out to Ms. Benny Leo, Ms. Brown, or directly to the high schools with questions.

All middle school sports are through the feeder high schools.

Cleveland Youth Track is seeking more adult helpers - paid and volunteer coach positions available! Cleveland's team hovers around 250 athletes each year. Because of this, we always need more hands on deck.

Practices are Monday and Wednesday from 5-6:30 at the Cleveland track and meets are Thursdays from 5-7:30 at various locations around the city. You don't need to be a specialist - just someone who is willing to show up, support lead coaches, and help manage athlete behavior. If you do happen to have any previous knowledge of specific track and field events, areas of support that we are particularly looking to fill are: javelin, long jump, high jump, and discus.

Becoming a coach in any capacity will require some hours of online training. If you are only able to come one of the two days, you would probably fit best in a volunteer rule.

If you can come to both practices and most meets, a paid position is probably for you! Please contact Meghan Eigo at meigo@pps.net if you have any questions or are interested to any degree!

Travel opportunity for your student – RSVP for information session today!

Dear Families,

I'm thrilled to announce an incredible opportunity: we’re heading to Iceland in Summer 2026, and your 6th or 7th grade student is invited to join us!

This life-changing adventure is being organized with EF Tours, our trusted educational travel partner. To learn more and secure your spot, RSVP for our upcoming info session here: https://rsvp.eftours.com/ydd8687.

During this info session, we’ll cover:

• Safety measures and procedures
• Our industry leading travel partner, EF Tours
• The amazing sights and activities planned for our itinerary
• What’s included in this once-in-a-lifetime experience
• How this trip will inspire and benefit your student
• How to make flexible payments
• How to secure your spot during EF’s risk-free enrollment period

Spots are limited, and we want to ensure your family has the chance to explore this exciting opportunity. Don’t miss out—RSVP today to learn more about this unforgettable journey!

We can’t wait to see you at the info session.

Warm regards,

Mark Wadnizak

mwadnizak@pps.net

Please note: This is a not a school sponsored trip.

Do you like Video games? Want to make your own video game? Join one of Hosford's video game design teams. We will compete in the 2025 OREGON GAME PROJECT CHALLENGE in May. Starting Monday 1/13.

Not into coding? That's OK. We need game designers, artists, digital musicians and project managers.

No experience necessary. Come check it out to see if it is for you.

Room B1

Mondays starting 1/13 through May.

3:45-5:00

$30 to join for the season

Just show up and we'll figure out payment and registration later. See Mr. Wadnizak with questions. mwadnizak@pps.net

8th grade:

• Cleveland high school forecasting presentations in social science classes 1/14
• Completed forecasting for CHS needs to be completed & will be checked on 1/21 by CHS counselors
• Franklin forecasting 1/30, students will be called down
• Other schools forecasting done individually with Hosford counselor help

6th & 7th Grade:

Forecasting in social science classes in late February/ early March.

Please reach out to Cara Benny Leo or Sahjo Brown with questions around forecasting. sbrown3@pps.net cbennyleo@pps.net

If you're willing and able, we could use a refresh on pencils. Thank you!

Hosford Middle School

2302 SE 28th Place

Portland, OR 97214

(Hosford already uses proficiency based grading.)

Dear PPS Middle Grades families,

PPS is moving to a new Standards-Based Grading System for all 28 middle schools. The purpose is to provide clearer and more meaningful feedback to students. Some of our middle schools are already using this approach, and research supports its benefits. Our K-5 schools have also made progress in this direction with their report cards.

We invite you to visit our middle grades Standards-Based Grading website at pps.net/sbg. There, you can find updates, resources, timelines, materials, and FAQs.

There will be three family and community engagement events in person and virtually at the Prophet Education Center (501 N. Dixon St.) in the PPS Boardroom. We invite all who have current middle grades students or students entering into the middle grades to these presentations where we will provide updates as well as listen to feedback and answer questions.

Family and Community engagement (Virtual and in person)

February 13, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

March 13, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

May 8, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

We believe grades are an important way to communicate with students and families. This new system will make it clearer what students need to do to meet academic expectations.

If you have any questions, please contact Richard Smith at rsmith5@pps.net. Check the website often for updates. We look forward to working with you during this exciting transition.

Middle school students throughout Oregon are invited to participate in the second annual Oregon Civics Bee. Organized by the Oregon Business & Industry Research and Education Foundation and presented by U.S Bank, this competition will give students a chance to share their ideas for improving their communities and show their enthusiasm for civics. Participants will have a chance to win cash prizes of up to $1,000.

The Oregon Civics Bee is part of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s National Civics Bee. The winner of the Oregon Civics Bee will be invited to participate in the national round of the competition in Washington, D.C. in fall 2025. Top performers in the National Civics Bee will get to compete for grand prizes.

Any 6th, 7th or 8th grader who’d like to participate in the Oregon Civics Bee should identify a problem in their community and write an essay of no more than 750 words about how it could be addressed. The essay can be submitted by means of an online portal that can be accessed through the Oregon Civics Bee website. The website provides guidance for participating students, including an essay guide, an application toolkit and answers to frequently asked questions.

Essays are due Feb. 4.

A panel of judges will review submitted essays and select finalists to participate in regional civics bees to be held in several locations around the state. The top performers in regional bees will be invited to participate in the state bee, which will be held in Salem in spring 2025. Both regional and state civics bees will feature a quiz-style competition and engagement with judges about the students’ essays. The winner of the Oregon Civics Bee will be invited to participate in the National Civics Bee.

There is no charge to participate.

For questions about the Oregon Civics Bee, please contact Linda Navarro at lwnavarro@outlook.com.

To log into Canvas at home, students need to sign into Google with their user name and password. Then, go to my.pps.net.

Plan ahead families. 6th Grade students will travel to various outdoor school camps the week of May 18th - 23rd. Students get dropped off on a Sunday and picked up at school upon return on the 23rd - usually around 1 pm or so. Below is more information about Outdoor School and all the fun 6th graders will have.

The Greater Middle East Student Union is looking for money donations to help fund lunches and field trips. We are a new student affinity group this year and can use all the help we can get. If you feel called to help support us, please donate here. Anything helps! Thank you so much!

https://pps.schoolpay.com/link/GMESU

Vaccines play a crucial role in protecting our students from serious illnesses and help keep our community safe. Parents/ Guardians of students who are due to receive vaccines should receive a letter in the mail. Please check if your child’s vaccinations are current, including their recommended flu shot, and contact your medical provider or any of the resources listed below.

Multnomah County Student Health Centers

OHSU Wellness Center

Multnomah County Vaccination Clinic (English)

Clínica Comunitaria de Vacunación Gratuita (Spanish)

Thank you to Chris Tyler for organizing After School Programming for our students. Please click the link below to review and read about how to sign up.

https://www.hosfordptsa.org/heat

Remind will be the PPS communication platform. You may click here to read more and download the app.