WELCOME TO ARLETA'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!
We’re so glad to have you as part of our school community!
This weekly newsletter is developed and sent in partnership between school administration and the PTA. If you have information you'd like shared in the newsletter, please email it to ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com. Keep scrolling for the latest.
INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge Portland rests on traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla and many other Tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River. #HonorNativeLand https://youtu.be/ETOhNzBsiKA
UPDATED! ARLETA DOLPHIN DRIVE THROUGH OCT 31
Do you enjoy attending Arleta's free events, like the Fall Festival and Family Picnic?
Do you love that every student gets a yearbook at no cost?
Did you check out the awesome school play last spring?
None of these are possible without supporting the PTA! We are asking our community to make a donation to the PTA's Dolphin Drive Fundraiser by October 31st! Donations are accepted through our Square site or via check or cash which can be turned in to the front office.
We've raised $1,605 of our $8,000 goal. Help us get there!
Have your kiddos decorate the dolphin in the Dolphin Drive Letter that came home (or, click here to access it now) and turn into their teacher or the front office. Feel free to decorate as many as you like! Dolphins will be displayed on the waves in the windows outside the office to show our progress towards our $8,000 Dolphin Drive GOAL!
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP VOLUNTEERING!
Arleta is an amazing community. We've got amazing kids, and amazing, hard-working, teachers and parents! But there are a few things that are so important that we just need help with!
- Our Fall Festival is one of the biggest events of the year for the kids! We need parents to decorate, run games, give out food, and help take it all down again! Please click here to sign up.
- Lunch volunteers help the kids get fed and stay safe! We need two-to-three parents each day from 10:45-12:30 to supervise the playground and help in the lunchroom. (You can sign up for a day out of the week that works for you!) Please click here to sign up.
- Litter pick-up keeps our school clean! We need a parent to lead litter pick-up for half an hour twice a month! Please email arletaschoolpta@gmail.com if you can the litter pick-ups. This requires retrieving and passing out the tools, supervising the pick-up, and making sure the trash goes in the trashcan and the tools get put away.
- Our library plays an important role in student literacy. Ms. Street needs a library volunteer or two to help make displays and maintain the library. Please email her at tstreet@pps.net!
Thank you for everything you do to make our school the vibrant place that it is!
KEEP OUR AIR CLEAN - PLEASE DON'T IDLE YOUR CAR
As the weather gets colder, please remember not to sit in an idling car near the school! Car exhaust contributes to pollution and children are especially susceptible to its harmful effects.
Consider the following:
- Children breathe 50 percent more air per pound than adults.
- Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15.
- Children’s asthma symptoms increase as a result of car exhaust.
- Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences.
- Exposure to vehicle exhaust increases the risk of death from heart and lung disease and lung cancer.
- Because a single vehicle dropping off and picking up kids at one school puts three pounds of pollution into the air per month, stopping unnecessary vehicle idling is one relatively easy way to contribute to improved air quality and respiratory health in our communities.
REMINDER! SURVEY FOR COMMUNITY NEEDS - PLEASE COMPLETE BY 0CT 31
The counselors at Arleta welcome back students and families! The counseling team and SUN would like to invite you to fill out our yearly Community Needs Survey. When you complete the form, all responses are kept confidential and someone from the team will be in touch!
The counselors have a great list of community resources on their website: https://sites.google.com/pps.net/arletacounseling/resources/resources-directory
OREGON PTA SURVEY ON STUDENT CELL PHONE USE IN SCHOOLS
Oregon PTA is conducting a survey on student cell phone use in schools so it can help inform is policy and advocacy work. If you're interested, take a few minutes to share your thoughts by October 15:
We Need Your Input: Cell Phone Use in Schools Survey
As cell phone policies in schools remain a topic of ongoing discussion across Oregon, we want to hear from families like yours. Your input is essential in shaping the future of these policies, and we'd greatly appreciate a few minutes of your time to complete our survey.
Warm regards,
Robin Roemer
Vice President for Legislation, Oregon PTA
CELEBRATE NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
In week one the Dolphin Digest featured some museums and music and in week two we featured some recipes and crafts. In week three we learned about organizations in our community and famous Latines past and present and in week four we talked languages! Now, let's talk literature, by exploring the poetry of Gabriela Mistral.
The first Latine writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature was Chilean poet and educator Gabriela Mistral (the pen name of Lucila Godoy Alcayaga). Here is an extensive biographical article on her by the Poetry Foundation.
This is a poem that she wrote about parenthood. The English translation is below the original version.
Yo No Tengo Soledad
Es la noche desamparo
de las sierras hasta el mar.
Pero yo, la que te mece,
¡yo no tengo soledad!
Es el cielo desamparo
si la luna cae al mar
Pero yo, la que te estrecha,
¡yo no tengo soledad!
Es el mundo desamparo
y la carne triste va
Pero yo, la que te prime,
¡yo no tengo soledad!
I Do Not Know Solitude
The night, it is deserted
From the mountains to the sea.
But I, the one who rocks you,
I am not alone!
The sky, it is deserted
For the moon falls to the sea.
But I, the one who holds you,
I am not alone!
The world, it is deserted
And the flesh, in sadness, carries on.
But I, the one who cuddles you,
I am not alone!
One of her most famous poems is still taught to students in primary school in Chile today. Below, read Piecitos de Niño, both the original and a translation.
Piecitos de Niño
Piececitos de niño,
azulosos de frío,
¡cómo os ven y no os cubren,
Dios mío!
¡Piececitos heridos
por los guijarros todos,
ultrajados de nieves
y lodos!
El hombre ciego ignora
que por donde pasáis,
una flor de luz viva
dejaís;
que allí donde ponéis
la plantita sangrante,
el nardo nace más
fragrante.
Sed, puesto que macháis
por los caminos rectos,
heróicos como sois
perfectos.
Piececitos de niño,
dos joyitas sufrientes,
¡cómo pasan sin veros
las gentes!
Little Feet of Children
Little feet of children
blue with cold,
how can they see you and not cover you—
dear God!
Little wounded feet
cut by every stone,
hurt by snow
and mire.
Man, blind, does not know
that where you pass,
you leave a flower
of living light.
And where you set
your little bleeding foot,
the spikenard blooms
more fragrant.
Walking straight paths,
be heroic, little feet,
as you are
perfect.
Little feet of children,
two tiny suffering jewels,
how can people pass
and not see you!
To read some more of her poems, you can click here for Selected poems of Gabriela Mistral, translated by Langston Hughes or Selected poems of Gabriela Mistral, translated by Ursula K. LeGuin, and the Multnomah County Public Library. And here is a Library of Congress recording of Gabriela Mistral reading her own poems.
For more poetry, here's a great list of ten Latino poets and poetry books for kids and here's a list of 15 more Latine poetry, theatre, and biography books for kids of all ages. Here is a list of 19 Latino poetry books for kids of all ages.
If myths and folktales are more your jam, click on this link, here! or for scarier stories to tell in the dark, click here!
SEEKING LITTER CLEAN UP LEAD
Interested in leading Litter Clean-ups around Arleta? This is an easy, low key way to make a consistent and noticeable difference at the school. Currently, clean ups occur 2 times a month and last about 30-45 min. Help is available and you could customize the dates and times to fit your schedule! Please contact the PTA at arletaschoolpta@gmail.com if interested!
VOLUNTEER IN THE LIBRARY!
Ms. Street is looking for volunteers all year long to help in the library. With budget cuts to staff time across programs, the library is no exception. Ms. Street is asking for help to maintain the library space and to create displays. if either of those activities appeal to you, please reach out to Ms. Street at tstreet@pps.net.
VOLUNTEER AT LUNCH!
We are looking for 2-3 volunteers each day from 10:45am to 12:30pm to help monitor the playground and assist in the lunch room. This is a fun way to get to know the students and staff!
Volunteers need to have passed a PPS background check. Visit the PPS website to start your application and screening process. (Once approved, your application is good for three years).
Sign up by clicking the button below!
ARLETA FOOD PANTRY, CLOTHES CLOSET, & FAMILY TOILETRIES
Arleta has a small food pantry, clothes closet, and a variety of toiletries available for the use of any Arleta family. To set up an appointment to use the pantry or the closet, please email our SUN School Coordinator, Raina Bilbrew at rbilbrew@pps.net or raina.bilbrew@portlandoregon.gov or call or text her at 971-803-8986.
GET PTA MESSAGES, EVENTS, & SIGN-UPS THROUGH KONSTELLA
Konstella is the website and app that the PTA is using for events, family communication and volunteer opportunities.
We encourage all Arleta parents and caregivers to download the Konstella app today using invitation code FH3W5B, then tap Join in the email you get. OR, sign up on Konstella.
If you have any troubles or questions, feel free to reach out to our school’s Konstella Admin and parent, Lisa Hugelier, lisa.hugelier@gmail.com
JOIN THE PTA FOR FREE
We'd love to invite everyone in the Arleta community to become a PTA member for free! Joining the PTA is a great way to connect with others, support projects and programs that support our students, and amplifies your voice in issues that impact our school.
Signing up only takes a couple minutes - https://arletapta.memberhub.com/store (one free membership per household, additional memberships are $10)
MEET THE PTA BOARD
SUPPORT ARLETA THROUGH BOTTLEDROP
ARLETA SPIRIT WEAR AVAILABLE ONLINE 24/7
Get your Arleta spirit wear! Shop online 24/7 and have your items shipped to your home anytime! There are t-shirts, hoodies, tanks, mugs, and more. Check out the online store here: https://arletaschool.threadless.com/
ARLETA YARD SIGNS AVAILABLE!
LINK YOUR FRED MEYER REWARDS CARD TO SUPPORT ARLETA
Arleta PTA participates in the Fred Meyer Community Rewards
By linking your Fred Meyer Rewards card to the Arleta PTA and scanning your rewards card when you shop, a percentage of your purchase goes to the PTA. Sign up here. (And you'll still get your cash back rewards!)
Email: ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com
Website: arletapta.org
Location: 5109 SE 66th Avenue
Phone: 503-916-6330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArletaElementaryK5