Dragon Tales
January 24th 2025
I hope everyone enjoyed the short week. Sadly, I was out of the building for most of the week battling a case of the flu, so I do not have too much to add this week. I promise to have more to share next week.
With that, next week will be even shorter than this week. Students have no school Monday or Tuesday (January 27th & 28th). These two days are designed to give teachers time to finish their Semester 1 grades and plan for Quarter 3. Semester changes are a great time for families to engage in conversations with their student about their 1st Semester reflections and goals for Semester 2.
I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Sincerely,
Scott
Refreshing Your Student's School Supplies
The start of a new semester is always a great time to evaluate the state and condition of your student's school supplies, particularly their binder and section tabs. We encourage all students to bring a binder with them to class. That binder should include the following:
- Pencil pouch w/ supplies (pens/pencils/highlighters)
- Their planner (all students will get a new planner on Wednesday)
- Dividers for each class
PPS BIPOC Family Night Event
The amazing PPS partner Sankofa Counseling is hosting an event for BIPOC families on Jan 28 from 5-7pm. Click here or scan the QR code below to register.
da Vinci Travels
During the summers, Drama Tech teacher Heidi Sprecher and Social Studies teacher Chelsea Blair lead international trips for students to gain awesome life experiences and gain insight into new cultures.
We're extremely excited to begin promotion for our Summer 2026 trip to Japan! It will be a 9 day trip that starts in the Kansai region of Japan and travels through Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. Then we get to check out Mt. Fuji before ending in several days of experiencing Tokyo! Students can grab a complete itinerary sheet from Heidi's room or Ms. Blair's room.
Our first info session for the trip is on Thursday, 1/30 at 7 PM on Google Meets. Please click here to RSVP for the info session! Even if you can't make it on Wednesday, RSVP-ing means that you will get the meeting slideshow and a recording of the meeting emailed to you afterward.
We are also having our final info session for our Summer 2025 trip to Europe. On this trip, we'll be visiting Munich, Vienna, the Salzburg Region, Bratislava, and ending in Budapest. This trip explores the music and history of these regions. Our final info session will be Wednesday, 1/29 at 7 PM on Google Meets. Please click here to RSVP for the info session. And remember, even if you can't make it, RSVP-ing means that you get the slideshow and video recording emailed to you afterwards.
We're so excited about both these trips, and hope to see you at the info sessions to find out more! You can also email Heidi at HSprecher@pps.net if you have questions that you think won't be answered at the meeting.
Please note: These trips are through a private company and are not affiliated specifically with da Vinci or PPS - which means that students from any school can sign up for a trip!
Asbestos Notification
The district has asked me to send out this notification. Please take a moment to read through this district memo.
District Approved Camps & Classes
Camps, Classes, and After School Programs:
VIBE PDX No-School Youth Sewing Classes (Jan. 27-28, Feb. 17, Mar. 3, Mar. 24-28)
Cognizart 31st Annual Young Artists Debut! Concert & Showcase (apply by Feb. 3 – Deadline extended)
USTA Tennis Afterschool Zone at Maplewood (Jan. 14 - Feb. 25)
Portland Parks & Rec Teen Force at SW Community Center
VIBE of Portland Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids
Portland Parks & Rec Environmental Education Nature Field Trips (flyer for teachers)
Summer Camps:
VIBE PDX East Winds Band Camp (Jul. 21-25, 2025, recorded audition due Jul. 10)
Cognizart 360Arts Summer Camps (Jul. 7-11, 14-18, & 21-25, 2025)