Laurelhurst Community Update

What an exciting start to 2025! The new playground structure is amazing and our students are so excited to play and explore. Please help us to keep our students safe by reminding them of a few of our play structure guidelines: Only one person at a time on a slide, no climbing on top of the poles and bars, and being aware of others who are playing with you.

We encourage our students to exhibit PRIDE in their play:

• Patience - taking turns
• Responsibility - following our guidelines, being safe, and looking out for others
• Integrity - honoring our community values and guidelines during and after school hours, even when no one is watching
• Dynamic - being positive and flexible and open to new perspectives
• Empathy - having a loving understanding of others who are also playing

Our outside classroom / nature playground upgrade should be done this week as well. Both of these wonderful upgrades are made possible by our community’s generous donations to PTA. Thank you, community!! We will be having a school-wide assembly in early February to honor some of those who were instrumental in making these projects come to life.

We are so pleased to welcome Sherry Malone as our temporary assistant principal at Laurelhurst K-8 School! Ms. Malone fills the AP vacancy left by Michelle Strickler, who moved up to Seattle with her family in December. Ms. Malone will be at Laurelhurst through the remainder of the 24-25 school year.

Ms. Malone comes to Laurelhurst with many diverse administrative experiences. Most recently, she was the principal at Skyline K-8 for four years. Prior to Skyline, she held several international administrative positions. She served three years as Assistant Head of Secondary at Utahloy International School in Guangzhou, China and also served for three years as a High School Assistant Principal at The American International School in Cairo, Egypt.

Prior to her role in administration, Ms. Malone taught social studies in Bogota, Colombia and at Milwaukie High School in Oregon. Ms. Brant worked with her when she was an instructional coach and professional development specialist in North Clackamas many years ago. She is very organized, hard working, and caring. She is a good listener and a creative problem solver. We look forward to working and learning with Ms. Malone here at Laurelhurst!

Keara and Connie join Laurelhurst as part of a PPS-wide initiative to provide reading interventions to targeted small groups of students. We are delighted to have them as our newest staff members.

I am excited to be working in a classroom again after a long stay-at-home parenting gig. I currently have a kiddo at Purdue University, one at Grant, and two who attend Laurelhurst. My relaxation time is spent reading, walking, and crafting.

I am so excited to continue my journey in the Laurelhurst teaching community as a Literacy EA! I was fortunate to work at Laurelhurst as a 1st grade EA last year and have been enjoying getting to know more students as I have subbed across the grades this year. Prior to working at Laurelhurst, I taught Kindergarten, 3rd and 4th grades in New Jersey. My sons both attend Laurelhurst - in 5th and 2nd grade. I have a Masters in Teaching and am currently taking graduate coursework to gain my Reading Specialist endorsement. I am so excited to be able to focus on my passion for literacy education with some of our wonderful Laurelhurst students.

We also welcome the wonderful Kasey Zmrhal as our newest EA at Laurelhurst! She will be supporting students in the afternoons.

My name is Kasey, and I am the mom to Beau (3rd grade) and Willa (1st grade). I have a bachelor's degree in English Literature and an MFA in creative writing, and I'm working toward my teacher certification at George Fox University. This is my first role working in education, and I couldn't be more excited to join Laurelhurst's learning community! When I'm not chasing my kids around or watching them in their hobbies, you can find me reading, writing, or teaching Lagree at a local studio in town.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you and your kiddos!

Dear Elementary and K-8 Families, Please note an important change to our attendance process. To enhance our focus on student safety, automated attendance calls through Remind will now begin at 9:30 AM instead of 10:30 AM. To avoid receiving a call, please report your child's absence to the school before 9:15 AM.

At Laurelhurst, our preferred method of absence reporting is our ONLINE FORM. You can always find the link at the bottom of these Community Update emails, sent weekly on Sundays. If you are not able to submit the form, feel free to call the Main Office to report your student's absence at 503-916-6210. Thank you!

January brings the Winter benchmark testing window for students where students across PPS will be assessed with district measures in literacy and math. At Laurelhurst this is an important time for our students to show their progress toward end of year benchmarks and goals. Our teachers use these results to celebrate their students' successes, plan instruction based on their students' needs, and calibrate with their team and other teachers across PPS.

As a school we have blocked out specific weeks for testing in each subject. Each teacher will have a block of time during the day for testing.

• January 13-17 is 3rd-5th grade ELA testing
• January 21-24 is 6th-8th grade Math testing
• January 29-31 is 3rd-5th Math testing and 6th-8th ELA testing
• Kinder thru 2nd grade students take a 1 day literacy assessment in January

It is very important that students are present during these weeks and ready to do their best. We know there are many ways students demonstrate their academic growth and achievement and this is one part. Students shouldn't feel stressed by testing but should do their best and take the opportunity to show all they know.

If you have specific questions around testing you can reach out to our School Testing Coordinator Kylene Parks (kparks@pps.net) or your child's teacher.

Dear PPS Middle Grades families,

PPS is moving to a new Standards-Based Grading System for all 28 middle schools. The purpose is to provide clearer and more meaningful feedback to students. Some of our middle schools are already using this approach, and research supports its benefits. Our K-5 schools have also made progress in this direction with their report cards.

We invite you to visit our middle grades Standards-Based Grading website at pps.net/sbg. There, you can find updates, resources, timelines, materials, and FAQs.

There will be three family and community engagement events in person and virtually at the Prophet Education Center (501 N. Dixon St.) in the PPS Boardroom. We invite all who have current middle grades students or students entering into the middle grades to these presentations where we will provide updates as well as listen to feedback and answer questions.

Family and Community engagement (Virtual and in person)

• February 13, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
• March 13, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
• May 8, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

We believe grades are an important way to communicate with students and families. This new system will make it clearer what students need to do to meet academic expectations.

If you have any questions, please contact Richard Smith at rsmith5@pps.net. Check the website often for updates. We look forward to working with you during this exciting transition.

Coaches and Volunteers Meeting on THIS WEDNESDAY 1/15 at 5 pm in the Laurelhurst Library!

We have a date for Regionals! All of the PPS teams (Grades 3-5 and Grades 6-8) will meet for Regionals on Saturday, March 15 at McDaniel High School.

Members of our PTA, along with our former Foundation leaders, are working with Laurelhurst administration to create meaningful ways to bridge the gaps we will be feeling as we are no longer able to fundraise for school staff.

Please take just a few minutes to respond to our survey. Your input on priorities for academic, social, extracurricular, and student support programs is so valuable. Please complete the survey by FRIDAY, January 17th!

Your input is invaluable and will directly help shape the fundraising and spending priorities for our school over the next several years!

We have only two more weeks in the 2nd quarter. Time is flying! For our middle school students, please remind them all their assignments must be turned in no later than this Friday. For all our students, please encourage them to do their best and end the quarter on a strong and positive note.

With Gratitude,

Alyson

1/15, 5pm - OBOB Coaches and Volunteers Meeting in Library

1/20 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL

February - Kids Heart Challenge

2/7, 6-8pm - K-5 Dance Party in Gym

2/17 - Presidents' Day - NO SCHOOL

We wouldn't have a new playground without the extraordinary Kelly Fischer, former PTA President, School Health Assistant, planner, pollster, auditor, solicitor, fundraiser, and mom of three Laurelhurst students. THANK YOU, Kelly, for your hard work on this once-in-a-generation project.

Email: abrant@pps.net
Website: https://www.pps.net/laurelhurst
Location: 840 Northeast 41st Avenue, Portland, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 916-6210

NEED TO REPORT AN ABSENCE? Click HERE.