April 19th

Arab American Dinner

May 2nd

Coffee with Principal Galloway - In the Gym 8:00am

May 6-10

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 17

Carnival 5:30pm

May 21

PTA Mtg. 6:30pm

May 27

Memorial Day- No School

Dear Maplewood school community,

Wow! Thank you to so, so many of you for coming out in strong support of Maplewood Foundation's mission, to raise funds to provide enrichment teachers and educational support staff at Maplewood. We had so much fun time traveling Back o the 80s with you to do good for our beloved school!

While we are still working to finalize numbers from the event, we can say that it was super successful and could not have happened without you! Thanks to all for your support in the multitude of ways--volunteers, donors, guests, and and to all who generously supported in whatever way was possible for you!

We'd also like to give a special shout out to one of our generous donors who we mistakenly omitted in the hustle and bustle of preparing for the event. Big shout out to Talos Consulting Group (https://www.talosconsulting.com/) owned by a local MAplewood school family, Alicia Allegrini & Ben Yoder.

Lastly, while we wish we could keep this message as upbeat as Maplewood Kids Five, we would be remiss if did not create awareness for the community of the bleak future of Local School Foundations such as ours. While the success of our fundraising efforts this year will still help to fund Educational Assistance for next year, after that the future is not so certain.

So at this time we are urgently asking for your help. The PPS School Board is close to passing a proposal that will eliminate School Foundation Fundraising by June of 2024 with no replacement funds in place, resulting in the elimination of over 100 student-facing positions in the 25-26 school year on top of the $30mm in budget cuts. The Policy Committee has intentionally advanced this proposal under the radar of most principals, teachers, and community members, and continues to dismiss the alarms that have been raised by many, including if this policy is even legal.

Please add your name and school(s) to this petition demanding that the board not take away more funding voluntarily from our students without replacement funds in place.

We support change, but this is not the way to do it. We demand that the board uphold the integrity of their elected office, and create policies that are based on facts, are transparent, and have real, sustainable plans to ensure that no students are left worse-off.

You can learn more about this situation and other ways to help here. Thank you for your help, our students deserve better.

With gratitude,

Your Foundation Team

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B5iEzASthzJhhwbjcUXSR7yG6GmU1N96VlXn8DRcsyE/edit

Since returning from Spring Break, we’ve been busy!

First we finished up our graffiti: Ms. Weatherill and I teamed up again this year to work on the use of positive language based on the Recess Lab’s Use Positive Language. In PE they brainstormed words and phrases using positive language. And later, in their art special, grades 4-5 made posters using those words and phrases in Graffiti Art style inspired by street graffiti artists.

Also in grades 4-5, we transitioned to Cerealism. What? Yep! Thank you for sending your student to school with an empty cereal box. Ask your student about these - many are on display in the school. They look FANTASTIC!

Grade 2 made paper sculptures. These were next level: Surfer dudes on surfboards - some even on waves! Super cool.

And some grades drew fun zebras. Many students asked for the link to the funny video - I said I’d add it to this newsletter, and here: Animanimals: Zebra

Ms. Smith

Securly

https://www.pps.net/Page/16844

Our district uses Securly to help families set internet filtering rules for their children when using school devices and accounts at home. Most teachers in grades three through fifth run it daily. As a parent or guardian, you can use Securly to stay on top of your child’s online activity in real-time from anywhere, with the SecurlyHome App. Securly will also send parents/guardians weekly email reports with a snapshot of their student’s internet activity.

Book Scour

Gosh. Where has the time gone? With only two months left of school -- dig deep to find those books that are overdue/missing!

Passwords

Most students have passwords that are not secure. Consider helping them come up with a new one!

https://password.pps.net/QPM/User/Identification/

Read with your child

Especially 2nd graders! They began accessing books meant for grades two-plus "upstairs" this week.

Ms. Kordahl

In PE we are beginning our striking unit using rackets and paddles as our striking implements. That means tennis, pickleball, pickleminton and badminton as well as skills and lead up games. There are a tremendous amount of courts in our area to play any of these games with kids!

Ms. Weatherill

Notes from the Kitchen

Just a reminder that milk is NOT free. The only way a student can get a free milk is if they are getting a meal. Milk for cold lunches must be purchased, .50cents.

Thanks.

Maria Belgrave (mbelgrav@pps.net) works Monday through Thursday.

Shannon Riley (sriley@pps.net) works Tuesday through Friday.

Julie Ries (jries@mesd.k12.or.us) Health Aid- Monday through Friday 8:00am - 3:30pm

Chris Khodadadian (ckhodadad@mesd.k12.or.us) School Nurse - Thursday 8:00a-12:00p

Please be sure to include both Maria and Shannon in communications regarding your children.

Volunteer Needs:

1. One-on-one/small group academic support
2. Social/emotional breaks for kids

*More information and sign-up spots are here: https://www.maplewoodpta.com/volunteer/. Or contact Lauren at Maplewoodvolcoord@gmail.com.

Thank you!

ParentVue race update:

As we look at our school assessment data, we noticed that there are many students whose race is not correctly recorded in our system. Please be sure to update this information asap so our data reflects our true demographics.

1. Go to https://www.pps.net/Page/2341

2. Click on “Yearly Verification”

3. Click “Verify Online”

4. Follow the prompts to update your information.

Champion Enrollment for next school year (24-25) is OPEN!

Join our students before and after school as they grab a snack, socialize with friends and explore the world in a fun and safe environment lead by our amazing teachers. Students learn while engaging in playing games in the gym, creating crafts and use their imagination to create amazing creations. Champions is here to help families get the care they need while ensuring their students continue their learning journey in a fun way.

Champions also offers care on most in-service days and breaks! Enrollment for our summer program is also open and includes fun activities and field trips!

Visit www.discoverchampions.com to get started. Enroll for Champions NOW before spots fill up!

I also attached a flier if that is preferred too.

Megan Swader

PTA Current & Upcoming Events:

Coffee and Pastries with Kit — May 2nd - in the Gym 8:00am, First Thursday of each Month

Carnival Chairperson:

Do you love event planning? Are you incredibly organized? Then we have the volunteer opportunity for YOU!

The PTA is looking for 1-2 Carnival Chairs and 3-6 committee members to plan this years spring, school wide Carnival! This is a super fun event and one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, raising over $5K!!

If this sounds overwhelming, don't worry! A few of last years committee members have already agreed to participate again this year! And additionally, a few past committee members with exiting 5th graders have agreed to be involved, in more of a smaller, mentorship role so you won't be alone!

We also have really fantastic documentation from multiple years past with a really strong blue print of how to plan a successful event.

This event CANNOT happen without parent volunteers and someone taking the lead. Please reach out to me, Amy Ng Bamford or email us at maplewoodptavicepresident@gmail.com if you're interested in helping out! THANK YOU!!!

Janina

Maplewood has a number of exciting after school activities on site this Spring including basketball, watercolor, yoga, tennis, chess, coding, engineering with LEGO, and ukulele. You can find more details including information about registration at maplewoodpta.com/afterschool or Maplewood Facebook Page.

Ways to Support Foundation

Monthly recurring donation

A monthly donation is the most convenient and effective way to give to Maplewood. Even small monthly donations make a big impact over time. Set up your monthly recurring donation here.

One-time contribution

This is a great option for grandparents, extended family, and loving neighbors to support your Maplewood student. Make a one-time contribution here.

By check

We are happy to receive donations by check made out to Maplewood Foundation and dropped off at or mailed to the school:

Maplewood Foundation
7452 SW 52nd Ave, Portland, OR 97219

Matching employer contribution

Ask your employer if they have a matching program for donations to non-profits. Click here for a list of already participating employers.

Fred Meyer Rewards Program Contribution

If you shop at Fred Meyer and are part of their rewards program, you may designate those reward savings to the Maplewood Foundation. It’s super easy and you can learn more here (sign in and search for Maplewood Foundation or IF500): https://www.fredmeyer.com/i/community/community-rewards.

BottleDrop Donations

Individuals can donate funds from their BottleDrop account balance to your Give account by logging into their account and using this link or connecting with the Foundation for bag tags.

LITTLE CODERS: INTRO TO ROBOTICS
Grades K-2
Wed, 2:15 PM-3:15 PM
Apr 10 - May 29
$209 / 8-week session

In this course, students use visual programming to learn computational thinking and core coding concepts, such as code structure, variables, and loops. Engaging activities boost problem-solving and creativity. They code robots for tasks like navigating mazes, detecting obstacles, playing music, and more.

REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/61952

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ROBOTICS: INTRO TO CODING
Grades 3-5
Wed, 2:15 PM-3:15 PM
Apr 10 - May 29
$209 / 8-week session

In this course, students use visual programming to learn computational thinking and core coding concepts, such as code structure, variables, and loops. They apply these concepts to tackle mission challenges like obstacle avoidance, path following, and maze navigation.

REGISTRATIONS: www.codingwithkids.com/session/61953


QUESTIONS? Email Coding with Kids at info@codingwithkids.com

Maplewood Green Space Cleanup - Sunday April 21

We hope you can join us on Sunday, April 21 from 10am-2pm to celebrate Earth Day and clean up the green spaces at our school!

Please RSVP at https://shorturl.at/kqMN8

Questions? Email maplewood.garden.co@gmail.com

Camp Invention:

Camp Invention® is coming back to Maplewood Elementary July 22-26, 2024. After earning rave reviews from campers, parents and educators, this action-packed program is returning with a brandnew program, Illuminate! Children in grades K-6 will collaborate with friends to take on fun, hands-on STEM challenges, from designing a light-up ball game to tackling global water challenges to starring in a prototyping game show! Each experience inspires creativity and boosts confidence. Secure your spot at invent.org/ mylocalcamp and use promo code SUM25 by 3/27 to save $25.

https://www.metroartsinc.org/kids-camp