SES Messenger

Dear Sunnyside Community,

We are now firmly into October and are looking forward to Harvest Fair and parent teacher conferences. It is starting to be wetter outside and for those of you who know Sunnyside, we go outside every single day. Please send your students to school with the right weather clothes and then also, please come check Lost and Found frequently as we are adding to it every day.

This week we continued our fall field study with teachers going all over. Michael and Robin went to the Zoo tunnel, Mary Gage and Sarah went to Bonneville Dam, Carrie traveled to Oaks Bottom, Mary and Becca went to Reed Canyon, Grade 2 continued their swimming with the community center and Heather's 5th grade class traveled to the Court house.

We also have our K-2's starting their neighborhood walks where they go around the block and look at the world around them. As Eric has so eloquently put it: The weekly walk is a tool to begin to develop a student’s sense of place. It starts with the inquiry: What is happening here? The inquiry should be adaptable to the walk and the possibilities of it. For instance, during the winter when there is rain and puddles the question could be “What is happening here at the puddle? This naturally leads to why. Why is the puddle here? And through the year the level of inquiry shifts from teacher driven to student driven as the class explores more and more of what draws their interest.

The walks can be a way to get our students outside and make observations about the happenings around our school and in our neighborhood. These walks would consist of a pre-walk activity, the actual walk, reflection on the walk, and another lesson that emerges from the student’s experiences on the walk. We give purpose to the walks and the follow up flows from the wonder and curiosity of the students. The follow up could be an art project, written work, read aloud, science experiment, a video, observational pictures or notes.

These weekly walks then lead into what happens at the 3-8 level with increased time in field study and more time developing essential questions and experiences.

Thanks for all you do to support our work!

Eryn & Chris

• Fri, Oct 18: Photo retakes. Stay tuned for photos
• Mon, Oct 21: Dine out for SES - Stumptown - 9am - noon
• Wed, Oct 23: PPS early release day. School dismiss at 12:45
• Fri, Oct 25, 6pm-8pm: First Middle School Dance
• Sat, Oct 26: 3p - 6p. HARVEST FAIR!!!
• Thur, Oct 31: End of First Quarter
• Nov 1 - Nov 4: No School. Teacher grading and professional development
• Nov 5: Early dismissal day for staff meeting. MS - 3:15pm
• Nov 6: 11am-10pm. Dine out for SES - Por Que No - Hawthorne.

With one week before the event, many awesome stations need more volunteer support, from grill masters to ticket takers to baked goods bringers. Please consider how you will pitch in. Sign up and read more about the event HERE. The fun is happening on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 3-6pm (sensory soft start 2:30-3).

Purchase carnival tickets in advance (skip the Saturday line): stop by the Harvest Fair table by the portables next Thursday and Friday after school. And remember to bring in those pre-loved tiny toys to upcycle as carnival prizes. We hope you can join us for this magical fall tradition.

Thanks to our sponsors & community partners: Whole Foods Market Laurelhurst, Oregon Heritage Farms, Organically Grown Company, and Linnton Feed & Seed.

Calling all crafters and entrepreneurs!!! Back by popular demand, the Winter Craft Fair will be FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2024 3:30-6pm at SES. This is a chance for student crafters to share their wares and to develop some entrepreneurial skills in the process. Participation in the craft fair is open to students of all ages and grades. Students can apply on their own, or can plan to collaborate with friends, siblings, parents, grandparents or other trusted adults. A limited number of vendor spaces will also be available for adult/experienced crafters (please note: there is a small vendor fee for adult crafters).

To apply, fill out this form no later than November 1.

Please only apply if you can commit to selling your crafts for that entire time frame (3:30-6:00 pm) as you will be in charge of setting up and running your own business! Please note that a "booth" is equal to 2' x 3’ of table space.

Support Sunnyside School with Stumptown Coffee! On Monday, October 21st, from 9am-12pm, Stumptown Belmont will donate 25% of sales to SES! Swing by, grab your favorite drink and treat, and help us earn $$$ for our school. Thank you, Stumptown Belmont, for being such fantastic neighbors! Tell your friends, because every sip counts. Stumptown Coffee Roasters, 3356 SE Belmont St., 9am-12pm

Our first middle school dance of the year is Friday, October 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the SES Auditorium. (With a games room in the cafeteria.) The theme is MONSTER MASH - costumes are welcome, with these guidelines: No Masks. NO Weapons, including fake ones. NO phones, NO backpacks. The dance starts promptly at 6 pm and ends at 8 pm—please make sure students have plans to arrive and leave at these precise times. Permission slips will come home a few days before the event.

Please sign up to chaperone and/or bring snacks! (Kids have specifically requested more vegetables!) Chaperones must have active volunteer background checks. (You need not be a middle school parent to chaperone the dance - all are welcome.) We request a $10 contribution to cover the cost of the dance including DJ fees and decorations, but no one will be turned away. Please contribute HERE.

If you have Halloween-themed lights or decorations that could be borrowed for the dance, including GRAVESTONES, SKELETONS, and one large FLAT WHITE SHEET, please bring them to the SES Office ASAP or Contact Jeran Turner at jeranturner@me.com.

Today is your last chance to collect pledges on MyBooster.com, which closes at midnight. If you have cash or checks that didn’t make it to school, we will still accept them at the office on Monday. Prizes will be announced very soon. We appreciate your generous support!

Sunnyside Families,

As the beautiful Fall leaves begin to change, temps are dropping and it’s time to break out the sweaters, coats, and boots. If you find yourself amazed at how quickly your child is outgrowing their current wardrobe, fear not! The PTA Clothing Closet is packed full of awesome FREE clothing for you to shop for your family. They have tons of gear from any and all clothing items you may need, to other items like backpacks, lunch boxes, and water bottles. If you would like to access the Clothing Closet, please reach out to our School Counselors.

Rebecca (K5) - rjohnson10@pps.net

Alison (MS) - algemperle@pps.net

Get ready to pedal for a purpose! Revel Indoor Cycling is hosting an exciting spin class to benefit SES, with 100% of proceeds going directly to Sunnyside! Come join the fun!

SES middle school students make lunches on Tuesdays and Fridays for unhoused individuals at Beacon Village. We’re looking for parents to transport lunches to 43rd and Stark around 12:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays every week. Click the links to sign up on Konstella for this awesome community service opportunity.

K-3 Author Visit!

We are SO excited to have author Megan Woodward visiting us in October for our K-3rd grade students! Author visits are hugely impactful for students and we all love to see how excited they get about reading, writing and art when an author or illustrator comes to see us at Sunnyside! Megan's book This Book is Definitely Not Cursed is a perfect (fun) book heading into spooky season and we can't wait for this visit (there will be puppets!)

In order to help support author visits at SES, please consider purchasing a copy (or two!) of Megan's book! Books will be signed by our author and delivered the day of the visit so kids can come home and share the fun with you!

Please use the below link and select "I would like to pick up this order" under pick up options and then select Sunnyside for pick up. This allows us to know what book orders are for your school. Add your child's teacher's name in the comment box so that the books can be distributed easily.

The deadline for submitting their orders will be Thursday, October 10th.

Thank you for supporting the Sunnyside Library!!!

Megan Woodward Author Book Buying Link

Easy Volunteer Opportunity With the Sunnyside Shower Project

The Sunnyside Shower Project is a program run through the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association that offers showers to houseless neighbors in SE Portland at Grove Church at 3520 SE Yamhill St. (across the street from SES). They need someone to help them move a load of towels from their washer to their dryer on Thursday evenings at 7 pm or later. This task is estimated to take 10 minutes or less. If you would be willing to help them out, please contact Hannah Wallace at hannahmwallace@gmail.com.

Middle school math and Spanish classes will be painting calacas for Dia de los Muertos next week, and we'd love adult help for small group work. Times:

Friday, 10/18 1:25-3:30

Monday, 10/21 1:25-3:30

Tuesday, 10/22 1:25-3:30

Please sign up HERE.

Marionberry! Caramel Apple! Pumpkin Pie! The PTSA is getting a minivan’s worth of pies from Willamette Valley Pie Company in Salem, for pick up at Sunnyside afterschool on Wednesday November 13 (3-5pm). All pies are 9-inch rounds, frozen from fresh, so they are perfect for stocking up for the holidays or anytime that feels right for pie. Order now, so you can share freshly baked, warm pie (Marionberry or caramel Apple) or thaw-and-serve Pumpkin Pie as we head into Fall and Winter (please note that these flavors are neither vegan nor GF). Proceeds support SES Garden, Music, and Field Study costs.

ORDER YOUR PIE(S) HERE

Ordering deadline: Oct 29
Want to be a Pie Hero? Volunteer to give out pie samples at Harvest Fair (Oct 26) or Pie Distribution Day (Nov 13). Email fundraising@sesptsa.org

Enjoy fresh-picked apples and pears from Kiyokawa Family Orchards this fall! Order a box for your family or to share. Proceeds support SES Garden, Music, and Field Study costs. Great for snacking, pies, apple sauce, and more! Fruit is picked at its peak and delivered straight to SES for distribution. Each box contains 32-40 apples or 20-25 pears (total of 20-22 lbs). Find descriptions HERE.

ORDER YOUR FALL FRUIT HERE

Ordering deadline: October 29

Pick up your fruit order/s at SES: Friday, November 8th, 3-5pm

WE NEED SPOONS! Christina in the lunchroom is in desperate need of spoons. Do you have any to donate? Making a trip to the Goodwill? We will take em.

Every US Households is eligible for 4 Free at-home COVID-19 tests at https://covidtests.gov/

Donations Needed: Urgent need for noise-blocking headphones! Currently middle school doesn't have a single pair, but all grades need them. Noise-blocking headphones can be either new or used. Another need is low-profile fidget toys, especially those that do not make a clicking sound. An example of these could be Haptic feedback fidgets or a silent stress ball. Donations can be dropped off in the office. Thank you!

Indigo needs some support with Kindergarten classes in the Art Room. Ideally, two volunteers would help on Monday, Wednesday, (Ally’s Class) and Thursday and Fridays (Logan’s Class), from 1:00 to 1:45 p.m., and would NOT be a parent of a student in that class. To sign up for this role, please contact Indigo at ccorwin@pps.net.

Want to send easy money flowing into our school AND help Earth?! Pick up a blue bag and sticker tag in the SES Office, put your empty cans and bottles from home inside, and drop full bags off at any Oregon Bottle Drop return location in the metro area. Ten cents ($.10) for each can directly support Sunnyside’s Field Study Program. Bags are available anytime at the SES Office, and will also be available for pick up at Back To School Night and other PTSA events throughout the year.

PPS is hosting a series of events that focus on Belonging, Equity & Inclusive Practices where we will screen powerful, award-winning documentaries that will stir, provoke, and challenge each of us about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities.

As part of this series, we are excited to welcome you to a live virtual event, Including Samuel, on Monday, October 28 at 5:30 PM at OMSI Empirical Theater. The event will include a screening of Dan Habib’s film, “Including Samuel,” and a conversation with him and his son, Samuel.

The film chronicles the life of the Habib family after Samuel is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and explores the family’s journey of hope and perseverance as they battle cultural and systemic barriers to inclusion. Featured on NPR’s "All Things Considered," "Good Morning America," as well as in the Washington Post and the Boston Globe, the film recently won the Positive Images in Media award from TASH, an international group committed to the full inclusion of people with disabilities, and the “Excellence Award” from Superfest International Film Festival in Berkeley, CA. You can learn more about Dan Habib’s work on his website.

Staff, families, and community members are all invited. Parking is free and light refreshments will be provided. We hope to see you there!

Warmly,

The PPS Special Education Team

Our Roles, Our Work, Our Children!

Folder with fliers in all languages

Our amazing Nutrition Services staff, Christina, needs help at lunch. Sign up to volunteer a lot or a little HERE: bit.ly/SES-LUNCH-24-25. IMPORTANT: SES Volunteers must follow all PPS guidelines including check in procedures, safety, and background checks. Learn more and get verified: www.pps.net/volunteer.

• PIL Youth - Franklin Youth Sports - INFO
• Girls Inc. - Join Eureka! Free STEAM program for girls and gender expansive youth
• Oaks Park Queer Family Night - Oct 28th. INFO
• QSA - Author showcase - Beaumont Library - INFO
• Multnomah County Common Application
  
• Renew DACA status with free legal help English | Español
  
• Including Samuel - OMSI screening
• Link for Free COVID tests - HERE

• SES PTSA Back-to-School Ask

• 2024-2025 Attendance Form

• Sign up to support Christina at lunch
  

• Konstella - One stop shop for parent information (PTSA)
  

• Sunnyside School Page

• SES PTSA website | After school activities at SES

• SchoolPay | Remind

• Communicable disease protocol - AKA when should I keep my child home from school?

• MESD head lice resources and information