a day at the beach
March 2, 2025
School social workers help students by supporting social, emotional, and behavioral needs that impact their learning and well-being. They provide crisis intervention and advocacy while working with teachers, families, and community resources to create a safe and supportive school environment. By helping students navigate personal and academic difficulties, school social workers promote mental health, improve attendance, and enhance overall student success. Thank you for all you do, Mr. Rhys!
Classified staff are the backbone of our school community, providing essential support that keeps everything running smoothly. From office administrators and custodians to cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and instructional aides, their dedication ensures a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for all students. Whether they’re assisting in classrooms, preparing nutritious meals, or maintaining school technology, their hard work directly impacts student success. This week, we celebrate and appreciate our classified staff for their invaluable contributions—thank you for all that you do!
KINDER REGISTRATION
At PPS, our goal is for every incoming family to feel connected to their school community and confident about starting school in the fall. If your student will be five years old as of September 1st, 2025, they are eligible to join PPS’s incoming 2025-26 kindergarten class. We are ready for them!
Registering for school is the first step in preparing for the start to Kindergarten. To register, call Esther at 503-916-6236, email eromero@pps.net, or go to the Enroll website . If your child is already enrolled in a PPS Pre-K or Head Start program or is receiving special education services from MECP, you are already registered.
CONNECT TO KINDERGARTEN
Don’t miss our Connect to Kindergarten events. Our next information session is Tuesday, May 13th 3:00-4:00. We will have time to play together on the playground on Wednesday, August 13th 9:30-10:30.
Visit our Kindergarten page to see what we have in store for you! If you miss the spring events, you will still be invited to attend a connect event in August as well as Kindergarten Ramp Up activities in the fall.
KINDERGARTEN RAMP UP
PPS Kindergarten Ramp Up provides a welcoming, supportive introduction to school. Prior to the first day of Kindergarten, all incoming Kindergarten students and families will receive:
A one-on-one family connection with their Kindergarten teacher focused on building relationship; and
A full-day, small-group practice day for their child, focused on orienting the students to Kindergarten staff, spaces, and routines.
Kindergarten Ramp Up connections and practice days will take place in late August. We will provide you with details about your Kindergarten classroom assignment and your family's specific Ramp Up schedule by mid-August. The first full day of school for all PPS Kindergarten students is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2 (pending the Board of Education approving the current district calendar).
For general information about Kindergarten, including the Leap into Kindergarten program offered in some of our schools, visit the Early Learners Department website or email the PPS Kindergarten team at kindergarten@pps.net.
As you know, there were four main themes that came out of the first round of principal chats. I'd like to provide you an update about each:
How do I know how my child is doing between report cards?
This is something that our Instructional Leadership Team will address over the summer and throughout next year.
What do my child's assessment results mean?
This is tangentially connected to the first theme and will be part of the Instructional Leadership Team's conversation this summer and into next year.
What are we doing to increase student belonging? Specifically, what is the response to hate speech?
We now have a Beach Hate Speech Policy that was shared with the community last month.
How much time are students spending on the computer? What safety measures are in place to ensure they see appropriate content?
Our School Climate Team is meeting in early April to create Beach Classroom Technology Use guidelines that will include information about what apps student will have access to, what sites will be available, how we will monitor the use of sites and how much time students will generally be on the computer. We hope to have it ready to share with all of you in our May newsletter.
I hope you'll join us at our next round of principal chats that have been rescheduled for:
Monday, April 14th from 6:00-6:45 (virtual)
Friday, April 18 from 8:00-8:45 (in person)
Get ready for an exciting Summer Acceleration Academy 2025!
This no-cost, invitation-only program provides K-2 students with targeted literacy instruction, hands-on math, project-based STEAM learning, and enrichment activities with SUN partners. Transportation, meals, and snacks are included.
Who Can Attend?
K-2 students at selected PPS schools (Beach is one of them!) who:
Need additional literacy support based on winter assessments, or
Receive English Language Development (ELD) services and are either new to the country or require reading support based on their ELPA score.
When?
📅 June 30 – July 31, 2025 (Closed July 4 & August 1)
⏰ Monday – Friday, 7:45 AM – 1:00 PM
➡️ Optional enrichment: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Limited spots, attendance commitment required)
Where?
Invited Beach students will attend SAA at Harriet Tubman Middle School at 2231 N Flint Ave, Portland, OR 97227.
📢 Invitations will be sent in March and April. Enrollment closes when grade levels and hub sites are full.
Looking forward to a great summer of learning!
If you have opinions about the communication from classroom teachers, specialists, and/or me or about your ability to connect with one of us, please reply to the Remind message I send with this newsletter or email me at njohnson@pps.net. You can also share your thoughts with a member of the Site Council, your child(ren)'s teacher or with Tina & Esther in the office.
March's safety drill is a Lockdown drill (in addition to the monthly fire drill). We will hold our Lockdown Drill on the afternoon of Thursday, March 6.
Locks, Lights, Out of Sight
Lockdown is activated when there is a threat inside the building. This creates a time barrier.
Students
- Immediately move away from the threat
- Get to a safe area - classroom or away from the school
- Stay out of sight
- Maintain silence
Teachers
- Immediately bring students into the classroom or safe location
- Lock the classroom door and barricade
- Cover interior windows, lights out
- Move away from sight
- Maintain silence
- Wait for First Responders to open the door
- Take attendance, account for students
- Think of your options and maintain situational awareness
The NW Natural bill discount program can save you money every month on your gas bill. Depending on whether you live in Oregon or Washington and your income level, you may be eligible for bill discounts of 15% to 80%.
There is one application to fill out. No proof of income is required to apply. And the application takes only minutes to complete online, by email or traditional mail, or over the phone. See below for qualifications and to apply. https://www.nwnatural.com/account/bill-discount-program
Looking for food resources? Use this link to find food pantries in your neighborhood simply by entering in your zip code or address: https://foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org/. Roosevelt’s food pantry is open every Friday from 1p-3p, entrance is on the side of the school off of Ida.
PGE: Income-Qualified Bill Discount Program
Energy is essential. It’s something we all need. With our Income-Qualified Bill Discount program, you can get a monthly discount of up to 60% off your energy use. Find out if you qualify and apply today – it’s super easy. https://portlandgeneral.com/income-qualified-bill-discount
Enrollment is available to qualifying residential PGE customers.
- Eligibility is based on your household size and the average annual gross income for all members of your household 18 years and older combined.
- Gross income means your income before taxes.
- If you’ve received energy assistance in the past, it’s likely you qualify.
For more information about local resources, check out our Beach Elementary Counseling and Social Work website, or reach out to our social worker Rhys at rnearyhills@pps.net.
You can also get to these from the quick links on our website for future reference.
- Monday, March 3 - CSI/TSI Professional Development - NO SCHOOL
- Tuesday, March 4 - OBOB Finals (during school)
- Thursday, March 6 - Lockdown Drill in the afternoon
- Wednesday, March 19 - Early Release @ 11:50
- Wednesday, March 19 - Restaurant Night @ Tamale Boy on Dekum
- March 24-28 - Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
- Wednesday, April 2 - Site Council @ 2:45
- Friday, April 4 - Grading Day - NO SCHOOL
- Monday, April 7 - Planning Day - NO SCHOOL
Monday, April 14 - Principal Chat @ 6:00-6:45 (virtual)
Friday, April 18 - Principal Chat @ 8:00-8:45 (in person)
