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
LITTER PICK-UP - FEB 13
Join us for another litter pick-up to help keep our school grounds safe and clean! The next Litter Pick-Up is Thursday, February 13th from 2:30-3pm. Garbage page, gloves, and grabbers will be provided, you just bring the armpower!
Litter Pick-Ups are twice a month: the second Thursday of the month from 2:30-3:00pm and the fourth Thursday of the month from 8am-8:30am.
CONNECT TO KINDERGARTEN - MAR 6
We're excited to welcome the next kindergarten class to Arleta! Our first open house for prospective families will be on Thursday March 6th from 5:30-6:30, entrance through the front door. There will be a short presentation by Principal Lisa Hawking, our school counselors, SUN, and of course our kindergarten teachers, Ms. Hedlund and Ms. Arias! Parents will have the opportunity to ask Ms. Hedlund and Ms. Arias questions and get to know the school. Siblings are welcome to tag along to the event.
If you'd like to share the flyer with friends and neighbors who may have an incoming kindergartener, click on the button below to view the flyer in Canva.
OREGON PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING FORUM - FEB 10
Did you know that Portland Public Schools are facing a $40M budget deficit in 2025-2026 on the heels of a $30M deficit in 2024-2025?
Do you want to do something about it, but don't know where to start?
JOIN US for an Oregon Education Funding Forum for SE Portland Families:
Monday, February 10th from 6 -7:30p
Duniway Elementary School Auditorium
7700 SE Reed College Pl #5, Portland, OR 97202
Your presence is powerful. The act of showing up alone moves the needle by demonstrating to our elected officials and district leaders that they cannot ignore the future of their youngest constituents. Bring friends, neighbors, and grandparents.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
💪 Learn directly about the current state and future of Oregon education funding from your legislators and district leaders – the people sitting at the table in key decisions.
💪 Hear our community speak up on the issues lack of funding is causing our children and schools – such as large class sizes, Special Education Services failing to meet federally mandated obligations, student learning deficits, drops in enrollment leading to reduced resources, and other impacts. **DM us if you'd be willing to speak about your personal experience**
💪 Walk away with simple, meaningful actions you can take, on your own time, to advocate to fund Oregon schools year-round.
MEET THE PANEL:
We’re bringing together influential leaders who have a direct opportunity to impact funding for our schools, including:
Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong
Director Eddie Wang (Zone 7 School Board)
Senator Kathleen Taylor (21st district)
Representative Rob Nosse (42nd District)
IMMIGRANT LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER LITTLE RED CARDS IN OFFICE
Our Arleta Site Council discussed ways to make “Red Cards” from The Immigrant Legal Resource Center available to our community. One of our parents ordered cards that will be available in 2 baskets: one on our office counter and one that we’ll make available at various school events, beginning with BIPOC Family Gathering this evening in the cafeteria. These cards are meant to help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations and can be printed out in your preferred language and carried on your person.
Click here to go to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
To download ILRC Red Cards
Tarjetas Rojas Con Derechos De Los Imigrantes
Thẻ đỏ cho quyền của người nhập cư
DOLPHIN DASH T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST
In art class this week, students were asked to design this year's Dolphin Dash t-shirt. The designs the last two years were so creative, and we're excited to see what they come up with this year! Students will be working on them in art class, and are welcome to work on their designs at home on a blank sheet of paper, they just need to include the words "Arleta Dolphin Dash 2025". Students will vote for the winning design next month, and we hope to have the t-shirts ready for the Dash on April 25th. Reach out to ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com if you have any questions!
SEEKING PIES FOR PI DAY RAFFLE!
It is almost time for Arleta's 5th Annual Pi(e) Day Raffle! Tickets for the raffle go on sale March 1.
We are looking for pie donations for this year's Pi(e) Day Raffle held on 3/14. Donations could be a regular pie, it could be a hand pie, it could be a store bought pie, a gift card for a pie place or even be a gift card for a pizza pie! If you are able to donate, please let us know by Wednesday, February 26, 2025. We need to know the number and type of pie(s) you are able to contribute, along with a brief description.
The prizes will be delivered to the winners on 3/14 by the pie maker. If you rather not do the delivering, just let us know and the PTA will be happy to take care of that part for you. Thank you!
Questions? Contact arletaptafundraiserchair@gmail.com.
TAKE THE PTA FUNDRAISING POLL
This is a brief, five minute, multiple-choice survey that helps the PTA make sure that we're doing our best fundraising for our kids' education and enrichment. While we had some technical difficulties, the form is working now. We want to be as effective and efficient as possible! Please fill out the Google Form below to give us your feedback, clicking all the answers that apply!
BEAT THE BELL
Let’s face it: getting to school on time and ready to learn can be extremely hard. But did you know that missing even a small amount of school regularly can result in gaps in learning and make it harder to grasp new concepts? Arleta is currently averaging 34 tardies per day, and the Arleta Site Council – a coalition of administrators, teachers, and parents that identify ways to support the school community - would like to help our students thrive by reducing that number.
Towards that end we are running this column in the digest with handy tips to help families get out the door. Every family is different, and all tactics may not work for yours, but please check back here each week for tips to make the mornings smoother for you and your students.
Tips For Smoother Mornings
- Make a family pledge about attendance and being on time.
- Give up on pajamas. Let your kid wear school clothes to bed. Who cares if they wrinkle?
- Ask kids to check the weather the night before and set out proper jackets/shoes.
THIS MONTH IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH - CELEBRATE INGENUITY!
This month is Black History Month! Our bulletin board in the cafeteria celebrates Black ingenuity and creativity, by displaying everyday items that Black inventors created. From the ice cream scoop, the tricycle, and juicers to GPS, color monitors, and blood banks, Black scientists, engineers, and creators have shaped our daily lives. Help your kids learn about the many things around them that were made by Black inventors. Can your kids find these items on the bulletin board? You can also do a scavenger hunt at home for items created by Black inventors by downloading this Google Doc.
This list is organized by the inventor's birthdate where possible (since many inventors had multiple inventions) and by the date of the patent when not possible.
A Brief History of Black Inventors
1722-1827
Peake invented a handmill to grind corn, using two round stones about 19 inches in diameter. Before him, people used a mortar and pestle to grind corn at home.
1731-1806
Self-taught on a borrowed pocket watch, Banneker invented an early version of the wall clock (complete with little gong). His first prototype kept perfect time for forty years. Banneker, a landowner and astronomy enthusiast, predicted his first solar eclipse in 1789. He wrote one of the first accurate almanacs in modern history. He said of the reviews of his almanac, "“I am annoyed to find that the subject of my race is so much stressed. The work is either correct or it is not. In this case, I believe it to be perfect.” Having never traveled more than ten miles from home, at the age of 60 he joined his neighbor who was engaged by the federal government and helped survey and map out Washington D.C. and published his correspondence with Thomas Jefferson advocating for African American self agency.
September 2, 1766- March 4, 1842
In the late 1700s Forten, a veteran of the Revolutionary War and owning a boat loft, experimented with sails and developed a large sail better able to maneuver and pick up high speeds, as well as a sail hoist. His inventions earned him a fortune and he became a noted philanthropist.
1791-1856
Jennings was the first Black man to receive a patent in the US, in 1820, when he invented a process for dry-cleaning delicate clothing, which he called "dry scouring".
1823-1890
Throughout history a mop was a bundle of rags or yarn tied to a pole. In 1893 Stewart patented the first mop head that could be unscrewerd from the base handle and a lever attached to the head that would ring out water without a person getting their hands wet with dirty floor water.
1824- November 29, 1916
From 1879-82, Joseph R. Winter, an African American Shawnee inventor, invented a ladder that mounts on to a fire engine (as opposed to a ladder they had to carry around with them).
1830-1904
Benjamin Boardley, working as an assistant in the Department of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at the United States Naval Academy developed the first steam engine for a ship, but was not allowed to patent his invention because he was a slave. He sold the rights to his invention to purchase his freedom.
1832-1904
From 1887-92 Sarah Boone redesigned the portable ironing board to include a contoured shape and larger surface to make it easier to iron a whole garment, and collapsible legs to make it easier to store.
February 5, 1834-?
In 1888, Cherry invented and patented the tricycle for improved posture and safety over the bike. In 1895 Cherry, witnessing accidents with streetcars, invented the fender: a metal plate attached to the front of the street car to absorb shock in collisions.
1836-1916
In the 1880s Eglin designed the first clothes ringer, a device that used two rollers to squeeze the water out of laundry.
May 18, 1838- May 7, 1918
Alexander Miles realized, while riding an elevator with his daughter, that manually opening elevator doors were dangerous, and in 1887 devised and patented an automated system for opening doors.
August 12, 1838- August 10, 1914
In 1890, Purvis invented and patented the little reservoir of ink in modern fountain pens (which is also the basis for ballpoint pens).
1838-1914
In 1896, DeLeon invented a steam table "cooking device" that kept food warm without an open flame. The table featured several compartments, each with their own heating element, and it's the foundation of the school cafeteria, today!
1843-1905
In 1892 Scotron improved on curtain rods by inventing a fastening and adjusting device for the ends of curtain rods made to be quickly and conveniently detached from the window whenever desired...the modern adjustable curtain rod. He also invented ornamental pole tips to go with them.
May 2, 1844- October 10, 1929
Attended college in Scotland during the Civil War but could not get work as an engineer in the US. His dangerous job applying oil to these axles and bearings prompted him in 1872 to created a device that used steam pressure to automatic lubricate train axels and bearings. In 1892 Elijah McCoy invented a portable ironing board. In 1899 Elijah McCoy invented the first lawn sprinkler. In 1916 McCoy patented a graphite lubricator. Graphite and oil mixed together gummed up less in superhot engines than oil only.
?-?
In 1845 Hawkins invented an improved gridiron for home cooking, an invention that became
the basis for oven racks, allowing food to be cooked at different heat levels at the same time.
September 15, 1846- August 21, 1910
Before Grant, golfers would build a small mound of sand under a golfball, and then hit the golfball. Grant, a Harvard graduated dentist born to parents who had been enslaved, invented the golf tee in 1899. He was also the first Black professor at Harvard. Grant also invented and patented a prosthetic device he called the oblate palate, worn by cleft palate patients to help them speak and eat more normally.
September 4, 1848-December 11, 1928
Latimer invented the carbon filament in incandescent lightbulbs so that the lightbulb didn't burn out in just a few days, turning it from a high-end novelty, into an everyday essential item. In 1886 Latimer invented an early air conditioning unit.
March 29, 1849- May 10, 1921
In 1881 and 1887, Beard invented two new double-blade plows: one that adjusted the width between the blades, and one in which you could adjust the angle of the blades.
Beard lost a leg coupling railroad cars together manually, and developed and patented several automated systems, including the Jenny Coupler. His inventions prompted federal legislation to mandated automatic couplers on railroad cars, passed the same year his invention was patented.
1851-1923
In 1890, Browne invented a sewage backflow trap, keeping sewer water from backing up and flowing into homes people's homes.
June 22 1855- June 3, 1936
In the late 1800s, Dickinson, who designed and built organs, invented a roller mechanism for pianos with forward and reverse modes, still used in player pianos today.
1855-April 8, 1905
Living in a small apartment at the time, in 1885 Goode patented her invention of a folding cabinet bed that could be tucked away in a roll-top cabinet that looked like a desk. She was one of the first African American women to receive a patent.
April 23, 1856- January 30th, 1910
Invented a steam boiler furnace for trains in 1884. Invented an electromechanical brake for trains in 1887. Invented the Induction Telegraph System so people could send messages from this train in 1887, allowing engineers to alert other trains when they were close and preventing accidents.
1857-1934
Downing invented the "street letter box" so that people didn't have to walk all the way to the post office to get their mail! He holds five postal-related patents.
Feb 8, 1860- April 25, 1940
In 1897 Ray patented the long-handle dustpan with a metal collection box at the end. His design has not been improved upon in 130 years.
Emancipation Proclamation - September 22, 1862
Juneteenth - June 19, 1865 (Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect in Texas.)
1865-?
In 1896, Brooks designed the street sweeper with a series of broom-like brushes pushing trash and debree to the side of the road, as well as dust-proof collection bags for his street sweet. He also invented a hole punch that collected circular pieces of paper instead of letting them fall, for punching tickets.
September 4, 1866- May 6, 1919
Working in a hotel in Pittsburg in the 1800s, he developed the first ice cream scoop and patented it in 1897.
October 26, 1873- December 8, 1956
In 1903, Dammond created a electric track circuit signaling system that improved manually operated signals, using lights and sound to attract the engineer's attention. Three years later, he patented the "Safety System for Operating Railroads" which controlled the movement of trains by signalling the condition of the track ahead.
March 4, 1877(9)- July 27, 1963
Garrett Morgan's first patent, in 1901, was for a sewing belt fastener, making sewing machines at the time more efficient. In 1912, Morgan invented a safety helmet to protect the wearer from smoke and ammonia, introducing his "Breathing Device" which became known as the gas mask. He and volunteers then used it to descend into the gas-filled tunnel beneath Lake Erie to rescue workers after the Cleveland Waterworks explosion on 25 July 1916.
When Garrett Morgan was in his fifties, traffic lights only had two signals: stop and go. The sudden changes, without warning, lead to accidents. Morgan, while in a car with his father and brother, saw a terrible accident between a car and horse drawn carriage, and invented the first 3-light traffic light in 1923.
June 1, 1878- August 5, 1955
In 1889 Martin improved upon the concept for a door latch by devising a latching mechanism without a bevel to close a door, so that the latch couldn't be forced open.
October 2, 1878- January 22, 1963
Spikes, nearly blind at the time, invented an automatic brake for buses and trucks in 1962 that applied the brakes when sensing an obstacle. This was quickly adopted for school buses across the nation.
?-?
In 1884, Johnson invented the rotary (2-chamber) egg beater. “If it is desired to beat up a limited quantity of eggs, batter, or other ingredients…the lower cylinder is applied, the result being a thorough mixing of the ingredients,” Johnson wrote in the patent description. And when the quantity was on the larger side, the other chamber of the mixer kicked in to increase the capacity of the “double-action” machine.
1885?-?
Newman, a hair dresser and deeply involved suffragette, in 1898 pattened a revolutionary hair brush with evenly spaced bristles, synthetic bristles (stiffer than natural bristles), slots to contain hair and dirt, and a removable compartment for easy cleaning. Before her, hair brushes had soft, bunched up bristles of natural materials. Modern hairbrushes are based on her design.
1889-1931
John Lee Love invented the portable pencil sharpener (before Love, most people used pen knives to sharpen pencils).
?-?
In 1890 McCree took fire escapes primarily available for commerical buildings and adapted them to homes, making fire escapes that could easily attach to windowsills and using winches to extend the wood and rope ladder. Modern residential fire escapes are still based on his design.
May 17, 1893- February 21, 1961
1920s-In the late 1920s Frederick McKinley Jones deisgned a series of devices for the movie industry which adapted silent movie projectors to use talking movie stock and invented a system to synchronise sound with motion pictures. In 1938, on a bet, Frederick McKinley Jones designed a portable air-cooling unit, creating the first refrigerated truck and allowing fresh food to be transported all over the country without spoiling, allowing blood transfusions to be transported saving lives, and founding the company Thermo King. He holds more than 60 patents in all.
June 20, 1894- January 2, 1971
In the first half of the 20th century, Lloyd Hall amassed 60 patents for preservatives and methods to keep food from spoiling, and proved that spices do not preserve food.
1895-?
In 1919, Alice Parker designed and patented the first central heating furnace that used natural gas, decreasing the risk of fires and drew cool air down into the furnace using a heat exchanger delivering warm air through the home. Subsequent central heating inventions were based on her initial idea and design. However, very little information about Parker has been preserved.
?-?
In 1896, White invented the lemon juicer, complete with container attachment to collect the juice.
April 11, 1899- April 19, 1975
During WWII Julian used soya proteins to create AeroFoam, which extinguished gasolie and oil fires, saving Navy sailors during the war.
Julian used soya to synthesize testosterone, progesterone, and cortisone, all used in many medical treatments today.
May 30, 1900- March 4, 1989
Parsons developed and patented four iron alloys that paved the way for the development of stainless steel, and was Duriron's chief metallurgist and lab manager, overseeing a laboratory fully staffed by Black employees.
June 3, 1904- April 1, 1950
Drew invented a way to separate blood from plasma so that blood donations could be stored long-term and organized the first blood bank.
1911-1992
Hawkins invented a plastic sheath to go over telephone wires (replacing lead) to protect them from the elements.
May 17, 1912- January 13, 2006
Coming from a long line of inventors, Kenner holds the most patents of any Black woman and was always inventing from early childhood on (when she was six she attempted to invent a self-oiling hinge, and put a sponge on the tip of umbrellas to catch rain water). After her sister developed MS, in 1976 she invented a tray and carrier pocket for walkers. In 1980 Kenner invented a toilet paper holder commonly used in public bathrooms today that feeds the toilet paper through a slot so that the end is always accessible.
?-?
Tired of hand-squeezing fruit to make juice, in 1916 Turner invented the first home fruit press, which pushed fruit into an opening and cut it in half, shifting the fruit between different plates until it was juiced. It is the basic design behind automatic home juicers today.
October 30, 1922-February 2, 1999
Brown was a nurse working late nights in Queens, NY. The home security system she invented used peepholes, a camera, monitors, a two-way microphone, and an alarm button all of which became the foundation for modern home security systems.
September 26, 1929- November 20, 1998
Gourdine held 30 patents for inventions, including for air monitors allergen filtration systems we use today as well as the Incineraid, in 1987, for removing smoke from burning buildings. He also holds patents for heating and cooling systems
?-?
In 1931, Thornton patented his invention of an early answering machine which attached to the phone, recorded voice messages from callers, and time stamped them. It also allowed the telephone owner to record his own message for callers to hear.
(October 27, 1930-Present)
Mathematician Gladys West was hired in 1956 by the U.S. Naval Proving Ground, a weapons laboratory. One of her first major projects was the Naval Ordinance Research Calculator (NORC) to determine the movements of Pluto in relation to Neptune. In 1978 she was named project manager of Seasat, the first project to demonstrate that satellites could usefully observe oceanic data. West and her team them created GEOSAT, a satellite programmed to create models of the earth's surface and this program allows GPS to make accurate calculations of any place on Earth. She retired in 1998.
February 10, 1931-Present
In 1962 with Gerhard Sessler, West invented the foil electret microphone capturing sound in electrical signals produced on thin sheets of polymer film metal coated on one side. 90% of microphones that are manufactured use this design.
1940-Present
Molecular Physicist George Alcorn holds 8 patents but his most important one is the X-ray spectrometer which allows us to see the chemical compositions of stars and artifacts, find planets, and develop new medical treatments.
March 2, 1957- Present
As Chief Engineer at IBM, Dean was involved in creating the first color monitor and lead the team that created the first gigahertz chip.
December 4, 1959- September 15, 2007
In 1987 Weatherby improved on existing bleach-based dishwasher detergents that used dyes that stained dishes and dishwashers, by creating a lemon-scented bleach-based formulation that didn't stain. It's now known as Cascade.
For science experiments you can do with your kids that help explore the discoveries that Black scientists made, click here!
PPS CLOTHING CLOSET VOLUNTEER REQUEST
The PPS/PTA Clothing Closet is where PPS students can "shop" for new clothes twice a year when referred by a school counselor. This past school year, the Center assisted nearly 1,400 PPS students! Arleta is assigned March 13 to support the clothing closet. We need 5-6 volunteers to help families select clothes and sort donations. Please sign up as a volunteer for this fun and valuable role, any amount of time is appreciated! Any questions? Email melissasircy@gmail.com
If your family is interested in accessing this resource twice per school year, please contact Ms. Aud at aumanansala@pps.net or Ms. Blei at jeblei@pps.net.
Make a Gee's Bend Quilt Collage
Make a construction paper collage inspired by the quilts made by the women of Gee's Bend. For inspiration, look at this National Endowment for the Arts slide show of the striking, abstract quilts. Then watch the video below (bonus, this is a great way to talk to your little one about fractions)! For the art project, you will need six sheets of construction paper or cardstock of different colors and a glue stick!
SUN SCHOOL SEEKING SNACKS
SUN School offers an amazing array of enrichment activity for kids: piano, photography, journalism, skateboarding. But kids explore the world best on full stomaches. SUN School is seeking donations of snacks to help feed kids in the program. Please make sure donations of kid-friendly snacks are healthy and shelf-stable. Donations can be collected in the school office! Thank you so much.
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.
VACCINE RESOURCES FOR YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH FROM THE DISTRICT
Vaccines play a crucial role in protecting our students from serious illnesses and help keep our community safe. Parents/ Guardians of students who are due to receive vaccines should receive a letter in the mail. Please check if your child’s vaccinations are current, including their recommended flu shot, and contact your medical provider or any of the resources listed below.
Multnomah County Student Health Centers
Multnomah County Vaccination Clinic (English)
PORTLAND WINTER LIGHT FESTIVAL - FEB 7-15
The Portland Winter Light Festival is an annual free, weeklong arts festival held in various locations around the city! For more details on events, go to their webpage by clicking here!
LUNAR NEW YEAR DRAGON DANCE AND PARADE - FEB 8
Join the Portland Chinatown Museum for the Annual Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade and Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 starting at 10 a.m. The parade will proceed from the Portland Chinatown Museum(127 NW 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97209) through the China Gate and downtown Portland on SW Third Avenue and up to the Oregon Historical Society. For more information, click here!
DISCOUNT TICKETS TO TRAIL BLAZERS' G LEAGUE GAME - FEB 10
On February 10th, the Trail Blazers’ G League affiliate basketball team will be hosting out Educator Appreciation Game at the Chiles Center at the University of Portland. We would love to invite you and your school community to come out to the game! Here's the link to get $5 tickets to the game in our own Arleta section!
What to expect:
- 10 free tickets for educators at your school on behalf of the Remix
- Discounted ticket rates for educators, administrators, students, and their families, bringing the cost down to as low as $5
- A family-friendly atmosphere with a kids zone for young fans
- Convenient, free parking at the venue.
- A celebration of all the hard work that educators do!
We would love to have you join us for this special night!
Email: ArletaSchoolPTA@gmail.com
Website: arletapta.org
Location: 5109 SE 66th Avenue
Phone: 503-916-6330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArletaElementaryK5