TUBMAN TRIBUNE

You are receiving this message because your student is currently registered to attend Harriet Tubman Middle School for the 2024-2025 school year. Please contact the school office if your student's enrollment has changed, at kibacon@pps.net (Kiah Bacon, School Administrative Assistant).

Community,

I am beyond excited to announce that we will have our first Black Family Affinity Group on Tuesday, November 12th from 5:30-7:00pm.

Please note, this is a change in date from when we announced this at Back to School Night.

We have attached a flier for the event which also has a brief survey. The facilitators, Aryn Frazier and Tiara Fitz, would like community input to ensure this is specific and intentional to what our families are seeking.

Please refer to the flier below for the details and survey.

We will have an early release this Wednesday, October 23rd. This will allow staff to receive Professional Development (PD).

Students who ride the bus will arrive at their stop approximately 2-hours earlier than their regularly scheduled end-of-day arrival time.

As a reminder, please note that the 2024-2025 school calendar is live on the district website.

Hey Legends your chance to show school spirit.

Free Food Market at Randall Children’s Hospital is still going on. This is open to all community members, no questions asked, who could use a little extra food support.

El mercado de alimentos gratuito en Randall Children's Hospital todavía continúa. Esto está abierto a todos los miembros de la comunidad, sin hacer preguntas, a quienes les vendría bien un poco de apoyo alimentario adicional. Traducido con el Traductor de Google

Smile! All of the School Picture Day photo albums have been emailed out to families. Please check your inboxes (and spam folders)!

All orders that are placed by October 23 will be shipped for free. After that date, you can still place an order but you’ll need to pay shipping to your home. Your student’s album will be active until June 1, 2025.

Note: If your student was absent on Picture Day or you would like them to be photographed again, Retake Day is Wednesday, October 30. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/tubmanretake

If you haven't received your child's album or have any other questions, get in touch with us at info@sungkokkophoto.com.

Thank you!

We are excited to announce that four members of our Harriet Tubman Middle School community have stepped forward to join this year’s Site Council as parent/guardian representatives! We had four spots available, and we are truly grateful to welcome Keli, Angela, Kristen, and Jaclyn to the team. Read their nomination biographies and learn more about the unique perspectives they bring to our council.

Introducing Our 2024-2025 Site Council Parent/Guardian Members!

• What is the Site Council? The Site Council is a collaborative group of administrators, teachers, and parents/guardians dedicated to supporting our school community. Together, we provide leadership, direction, and assistance to define school priorities and implement strategies that align with the needs of our students. At its core, the Site Council’s mission is to tailor the learning experience at Harriet Tubman Middle School to meet the specific needs of our students and community.

• Get Involved: Site Council meetings are open for community engagement and take place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 4:15 PM to 5:30 PM in the school library. We encourage you to join us and participate in discussions aimed at making our school even stronger. Your voice matters!

We look forward to working together to continue making Harriet Tubman MS a place where every student can thrive. The first meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 30.

Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you at an upcoming meeting!

Mark your calendars for November 5, 2024 and join us for a delicious way to support our school! Visit Sparky's Pizza at [insert address] and enjoy your favorite pizzas while helping raise funds for the Harriet Tubman PTSA.

Sparky's will generously donate 5% of ALL sales made that day to our PTSA! So whether you're dining in or ordering out, your pizza purchase will help support our students, teachers, and school programs.

Let’s make it a great day of community spirit and pizza! 🍕🎉

Thank you for your support! — Harriet Tubman PTSA

The next PTSA next meeting will be held Thursday, November 21 at 6 PM in the library and online. Parents, community members, teachers, and STUDENTS - All are welcome! PTSA meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of each month.

Click here to join the meeting on ZOOM

Join the PTSA! Your membership will help support student programs and services at Harriet Tubman Middle School: https://www.oregonpta.org/membership/joinnow/11510594

The PPS middle grades (6th - 8th) youth sports program, with the exception of recreational soccer, is directed by the Portland Interscholastic League (PIL). The student athletes represent their neighborhood high school cluster. Thanks in part to the financial support of many individuals, PIL Youth Sports offers football, cross country and girls' volleyball in the fall; girls' and boys' basketball and wrestling in the winter; and baseball and co-ed track and field in the spring. Fall season begins in late August, winter practices begin in mid November and spring practices begin in late February. Details for each sport can be found on the PIL website under "PIL Youth Sports".

Link to learn more...

Hey HTMS community! Get ready for a festive evening full of fun, laughter, and connection! We’re excited to invite you to our Harvest Fest on Tuesday, October 31st from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at the Tony Hopson, Sr. Center for Self Enhancement, Inc. located at 3920 N Kerby Ave, Portland, OR 97227.

This is the perfect way to celebrate the season while connecting with your neighbors and making lasting memories with the community. Bring your friends, family, and festive spirit—we can’t wait to see you there!

Mark your calendars and spread the word—Harvest Fest is going to be an unforgettable celebration of community, culture, and connection.

Don’t miss out!
Tuesday, October 31 | 4:30 - 7:30 PM
Tony Hopson, Sr. Center for Self Enhancement, Inc.
3920 N Kerby Ave, Portland, OR 97227

We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Time to enroll your students in our after-school SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) Program! SUN offers a range of enriching activities, academic support, and a safe, engaging environment for your child after school hours. Middle school students are not required to attend SUN Monday - Thursday. Single class enrollment is permitted. No student will be turned away.

To complete the enrollment process, it is MANDATORY to fill out the following forms. These forms are crucial for our data and ensure your student can participate in SUN. Without these completed forms, students will not be allowed to attend the program.

Please fill out the required forms using the link below: ENROLL HERE

Important Reminders:

• Pick-up time is no later than 6:15 PM. Persistent late pick-ups may result in students being unenrolled until the next quarter.
• All other necessary details are included in the enrollment form.

Portland Parks & Recreation offers exciting programs and activities for teens citywide! TeenForce strives to reflect the energy and excitement of the teens themselves in the awesome trips, classes, drop-in activities, events, and volunteer/service learning outings.

The TeenForce Pass gives FREE access to scheduled drop-in activities and designated open swims at five Portland Parks & Recreation community centers. The pass is available for youth ages 10 to 20.

Registering for a TeenForce Pass is easy, fast, and FREE! Registration must be in person at all Community Center locations including, Matt Dishman. Bring your address, parent/guardian address, parent/guardian phone number, your phone number, and information about any health conditions you may have.

Or download a TeenForce Pass Registration Form, print it, and bring your completed form to any of the five TeenForce sites.

Download PDF file
• Teenforce Pass Form 2024-25 (English) 585.25 KB

• TeenForce Pass 登记表 Form 2024-25 (Chinese-Simplified) 802.68 KB

• Unkaa galmee Teenforce darbinsa Teenforce pass 2024-25 (Oromo) 642.36 KB

• Registracionnaya forma propuska Teenforce Form 2024 (Russian) 665.97 KB

• Formulario de registro de teenforce 2024-25 (Spanish) 237.64 KB

Harriet Tubman Middle School is excited to welcome award-winning author Rebecca Balcárcel to our school on Monday, October 28th!

“A Guatemalan-Anglo American, Rebecca Balcárcel is the award-winning author of SHINE ON, LUZ VÉLIZ! and THE OTHER HALF OF HAPPY, as well as a contributor to Highlights magazine and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters.”

(Source: https://rebeccabalcarcel.com/about-me/)

During her visit, Ms. Balcárcel will give HTMS students a behind-the-scenes peek at the origin story of her book "Shine On, Luz Veliz!”, which is an engaging story that has a focus on computers, coding, and robotics. Ms. Balcárcel will also show them writing tips to make their own stories or assignments better. It is an interactive, fun, and energetic presentation!

The visit will be open to all HTMS students who would like to attend and students who are interested can see Ms. Boldman in the library to RSVP! We would like to purchase a copy of Shine On, Luz Veliz! for all students who attend the author visit to be signed by Ms. Balcárcel. If you would like to contribute to the purchase of those books, please use the included link.

For any questions, please reach out to our School Librarian, Ms. Boldman (eboldman@pps.net).

The Grant Choir Program is hosting an interactive preview night and every 8th grader who is considering attending Grant next year is invited! Join us in the Grant Choir room (281) on Wednesday, October 30th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. 8th graders will get to sing with current Grant Choir students, learn about the opportunities vocal music at Grant can provide, ask questions, and enjoy free cupcakes! Even if your student has no singing experience, or you think they would "never join something like choir," please consider attending – choir is one of the most popular, fun, inclusive, and supportive elective programs Grant has to offer and there are students from all walks of life enthusiastically enrolled in the program. For more information, please see the Full Event Flyer or email the director John Eisemann (jeisemann@pps.net).

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming Fun Friday In-School Carnival, October 31, and we would love for you to join in the fun by volunteering! This special event will feature exciting gaming stations, arts & crafts, and concessions, and we need your help to make it a success.

Whether you’re able to assist with games, help kids with creative crafts, or lend a hand at the concession stand, your participation will make a huge difference in creating a memorable experience for our students.

If you’re interested in volunteering**, please sign up here:

Thank you in advance for your support! We look forward to celebrating the season together with your help.

**All volunteers must complete a PPS background check

Multnomah County’s School and Community Oral Health Program is offering Free sealants and dental screening. A dental screening is a quick look inside your child’s mouth to check the overall health of their teeth, and sealants will be placed if needed.

Per PPS policy, all students will be required to wear their school I.D. badge during the school day. We will supply lanyards and holders for all students. We will have a “soft start” to this policy until picture day on October 1st. Once students receive their new IDs, there will be no exceptions to the policy.

Harriet Tubman Middle School has several policies and expectations for our students and our Code of Conduct Agreement (CCA) outlines each of them. You will see expectations for students in regards to our general building expectations (A.S.K.), our attendance system (ASERT), behavior referrals and discipline ladder, cell phone policy, social media and attire expectations as well as our food policy.

Our goal is to create a safe and inclusive environment for all students. It is your responsibility to review our building expectations and to ensure both you and your student/s understand HTMS and PPS expectations and policies.

If you have any questions and or concerns, please reach out to our team for support.

• Digital Signature form
  

• PRINTABLE version

At Harriet Tubman Middle School, we would love for you to visit your student and to support our building! Please make sure to sign in at the office and if you would like to stay, per district safety policy, you will be asked to show your ID and will receive a visitor badge. Please remember to return to the main office to sign out.

If you would like to visit a classroom, you will need to provide educators with a 24 hour notice. This can be done via email or over the phone with the educator.

All volunteers must have a background check. Ask our front office how to get that going!

OCTOBER

23 Early release, students dismissed at 1:45p

25 6th Gr (Q1) AVID field trip, PSU

28-31 School Spirit Week

30 Picture Day (make ups)

30 Site Council, 4:15p (Library)

31 Fun Friday, 2p (volunteers needed)

31 End of Q1

NOVEMBER

1 Grading Day, No school

3 Daylight Saving Time Ends

4 Teacher PD, No school

5 PTSA Fundraiser Night, Sparky's Pizza

11 Holiday, No school

20 Site Council, 4:15p (Library)

21 PTSA Mtg, 6p (Library)

25-26 Conferences

27-29 No School

PPS has worked to align middle school schedules through their middle school redesign process. This means that we will have a new bell schedule for the 2024-2025 school year. Monday, Wednesday and Friday will have the same schedule which includes an advisory period for 25 minutes to start the day. Advisory will be critical to setting up your student for success and it is an expectation that all students attend. Tuesday and Thursday will also see identical schedules, without advisory, which results in slightly longer class periods.

To ensure a smooth and efficient beginning and end to each school day, we want to remind you of our arrival and departure procedures.

Arrival Procedures:

• Doors Open: Students may enter the school building starting at 9:08 AM. This early entry time provides students with the opportunity to pick up a free breakfast, setting a positive tone for their day of learning.
• Classroom Readiness: The school day officially begins at 9:15 AM. To maximize instructional time, all students are expected to be in their classrooms, seated, and prepared to learn by this time.
• Late Arrivals: If students arrive after 9:15 AM, they will need to check in at the school office before proceeding to their classroom. This helps us ensure that all students are accounted for and ready to join their classes.

Departure Procedures:

• Dismissal Time: The school day ends at 4:00 PM. Students will be dismissed to go home at this time. Please ensure that arrangements are made for timely pick-up or transportation.

We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these times as they help maintain a structured and productive learning environment for all students. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to contact the school office.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.