• March is a big month for Early Learners, our application for next school year is now OPEN! Please spread the word to family and friends, let us know if you want some flyers or a yard sign to post. Open House Dates
• If you have a younger child who has or will turn 3 or 4 before September 1, 2025 let your teacher or Family Advocate know. We prioritize siblings for enrollment in all of our classrooms!
• In order for you to prepare, we want to let you know that April 7th is now a NO SCHOOL DAY for PreK.
• March 24th-28th is Spring Break, maybe we will see some sunshine!

• Due to school closures during inclement weather in February, there will be two make-up days added to the 2024-25 school year. Wednesday, June 11, 2025 and Thursday, June 12, 2025 will now be the last two days of school for Pre-Kindergarten-11th grade.

How is attendance going this year? At this point in the year 280 (33%) of enrolled students have missed more than 20% of the school year. In an effort to support getting our students to school we want to hear from you. Please take the poll and let us know the top reason your child might be absent, as well as how we can make it easier to let us know why they are absent!

*Participants missing less than 10% (not chronically absent), between 10 and 20% (moderate) and 20% or more (severe chronic absence) of total school days.

Join us for Parenting While Black: Nurturing Legacy, Love, and Liberation, a FREE dynamic four-part virtual conversation series by, for and among Black parents. This is a welcoming space for sharing ideas, stories, and ways of knowing and being. We will explore our similar and different experiences and our many different ways of being Black parents. The series delves into mental health and wellness, acknowledging the unique pressures we as Black parents face while also offering concrete tools for self-care and emotional resilience. We will celebrate Black families as a cornerstone of cultural preservation and affirmation of our futures, exploring ways to strengthen bonds across generations and build lasting legacies. We will explore our similar and different experiences and our many different ways of being Black parents and/or raising Black children.

Our 60-minute conversations begin on February 24th and run through April 7th. This free series is designed to create an authentic space for Black parents to share experiences and insights, and build community. The series will be moderated by Kimya Barden, Ph.D., Parenting Scholar; Associate Professor of Urban Community Studies, Northeastern Illinois University-Chicago; Co-creator, The Speaker Shop.

Who is eligible?

Patients who do not have dental insurance, are underinsured, or are without any reasonable means to pay for or access to emergency dental treatment. Please note: Some sites may have extra eligibility requirements.

Cost of service?

No charge.

What to expect upon arrival?

We have pivoted our mobile clinic model to include curbside screening for COVID symptoms while the patient is in their car. When the patient is cleared of symptoms, they are invited to park and go to the intake tent to complete paperwork before boarding the Mobile Dental Clinic. Unfortunately, anyone exhibiting or acknowledging at-risk symptoms will be turned away. We are not performing COVID-19 testing at these dental clinics.

Dates:

Wednesday 3/5 Call for appointment: 503-974-8887
Borland Free Clinic
3550 SW Borland Rd, Tualatin

Thursday 3/6 Call for appointment: 503-893-6550
Providence Tanasbourne
10670 NE Cornell Road, Hillsboro

Friday 3/7 Call for appointment: 503-591-9025
Beaverton Resource Center
13565 SW Walker Rd, Beaverton

Monday 3/10 Call for appointment: 503-893-6550
Providence Highland Christian Center
7600 NE Glisan St, Portland

Friday 3/14 Call for appointment: 503-893-6550
Providence Willamette Falls
1511 Division St, Oregon City

Saturday 3/15 Call for appointment: 503-849-1603
St. Anthonys Church
9905 SW McKenzie St, Tigard

• Program updates, addressing low attendance
• Parent engagement in Policy Council, parent communication in general
• Oregon Head Start Association-parents shared about their experience attending this month

For families whose children will enter Kindergarten next year, and are attending their neighborhood school, you do NOT need to do anything to enroll your child. All children currently enrolled in PPS PreK who will go to a PPS neighborhood school will automatically be enrolled for next year. Go to this website for more information about PPS Kindergarten.

If you are interested in the School Choice/Lottery option, please go to this website for more information about the application process.

If your child will transition to a Kindergarten program outside of PPS, let your Family Advocate know and we will support that process as well.

The Center for Black Health and Wellness is a primary care center located within the East Interstate Medical Office in North Portland. It is a new option for Kaiser Permanente Northwest members interested in receiving primary care services. Please share with families that might be interested.

• Multnomah County "Get Food" Guide Information

  Multnomah County Common Application (apply for multiple programs with one application)

  Rent, Housing, Shelter Assistance

  Energy Services

  Portland Parks & Rec activities

  2-1-1 (for all other resources)

Email: prekprograms@pps.net
Website: pps.net/earlylearners
Text/phone: 971-706-1806

Know someone with a 3 or 4 year old? Apply now!