Wildcat Newsletter

The rain has made an appearance and it’s a great time to remind you that we go outside almost every day. Heavy rains will keep us inside but general sprinkles and light rain mean outside recess. Please send your child with a jacket everyday. Most importantly, put your childs name in everything that they might take off during the day. All coats, sweatshirts, sweaters should have your child’s name written on a tag or the inside collar. Our lost and found isn’t shrinking and we already have lots of outerwear on display.

We will hold our Drop, Cover and Hold On drill Thursday. It’s a great time to talk about your family plan in the event of an emergency. Join us and people all around Oregon for the 10:17 Earthquake Drill on Thursday, October 17th (10/17).

We had fun at Fall Fiesta last week! The food was great, Loteria had lots of winners and the interactive performance with Ali-Ole got great reviews from both kids and parents. We use Run for Woodlawn funds to bring performers to our students and families. This performance was paid for by last year’s funds.

We love having families back to school to play and learn with us. The next evening opportunity is focused specifically on your child, Parent-Teacher Conferences, on November 25th and 26th. If you don’t have a conference scheduled, please connect with your child’s teacher.

School ends at 11:50. It is a code of color day. Our spirit day is on Thursday, October 31st.

We ran last week and many students have returned their fundraising envelopes. We will continue to collect raised funds through November. For students to qualify for prizes, envelopes and money must be turned in by October 25th. If your child raised $20 or more, they will receive a shirt in their prize bag later in November. Please mark the tshirt size on your child's envelope. The Run for Woodlawn tshirt meets code of color.

In order to provide safe crossing at NE 11th street during morning drop off and afternoon pick up we are asking all students, families and caregivers to cross with our crossing guards. We will also be managing traffic and having cars flow west down Buffalo street.

While waiting to cross the street please let our crossing guard know that you would like to cross. When the adult stops traffic, the patroller will step into the crosswalk and you can cross. This will help us all be a little safer. When you bypass the patroller with your child you create a hazard for our drivers who are following the adult direction at the intersection. Waiting a minute longer for the patroller will help keep all of our Wildcats safe.

IF YOUR CHILD HAS SIGNED UP FOR SAFETY PATROL (open to 4th and 5th graders who turn in a permission slip) they will have one on-the-job training day, and will receive a calendar for the rest of this term. We can only host 4-6 students per day for the on-the-job training, so it will take a couple of weeks to get through this and get to the weekly schedule. If you have any questions please feel free to email Coach Layman at MLayman@pps.net

Here’s a peek into October’s counseling lessons from Slumberkins, The Feels:

The Feels Lesson Objective

Students will learn how to identify 5 major emotional states as well as strategies for taking care of their feelings in weekly counseling lessons in each classroom.

Summary of Lessons

The Feels Curriculum offers students concrete tools for coping with the spectrum of feelings, The Feels teaches students to first tune in mindfully to their own needs, emotional reactions and behavioral responses to better self-advocate and problem solve with their peers and resource adults. It teaches the importance of self-compassion when tougher feelings arise, which in turn builds empathy and group cohesion within the classroom. Finally, it helps students assume greater responsibility for themselves, their "Feels" and needs of their greater school community, inviting them to contribute meaningfully by practicing new skills daily.

Steps for Understanding and Shifting Worried Thoughts

Support your child in verbalizing their understanding of the role their Worried Thoughts play in creating Worried Feels.

Re-label the Worry by giving it a name that your child chooses in order to externalize it. This Feel can have a voice of its own that can even be silly, like a cartoon character.

Reflect and Acknowledge what the child is feeling (i.e., "This is making you so upset," or, "It's hard to do anything when your mind is so busy and making so much noise.")

Remind through Metaphor the Worry is a no-fault issue (i.e., "It's the Worry Brain, it's not your fault," or, "Its thoughts are junk mail and not true, don't take them personally," or, "It's a false alarm, a worry mosquito, etc.")

Challenge Worried Thoughts by examining the actual probability of the negative expectation occurring, what the real consequences would be if it occurred, their ability to manage the likely outcome, and the worst possible outcome and their ability to accept it should it occur.

Explore the Past Worry that no longer bothers your child. Ask them to explain how they got over a past fear. They will often say, "I got used to it." Help them understand that worry can lead to avoidance of the problem, but if they slowly move toward their worry, they may find themselves getting over it step-by-step.

In community,

Carissa Marquis, Counselor

Hello, Wildcats!

October is Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate the powerful connections we make with local food through learning, growing, and eating together. This Thursday, October 17th, is Oregon’s annual CRUNCH day, and we’re excited to invite all students and staff to join in an apple tasting during lunch! Two delicious apple varieties will be available to sample, and everyone will have a chance to vote for their favorite. The apples to look forward to are the Pink Pearl and Blonde, both grown by Kiyokawa Family Orchards, a family-owned orchard in Parkdale, Oregon. We hope you’ll join us—and students across the state—as we crunch into local apples together!

Learn more about apples in this Oregon Harvest for Schools video.

Want a Woodlawn Hoodie? Looking for long sleeve tees?

We will soon be taking pre-orders for hoodies and long sleeve t-shirts! Please help us decide which logo you would prefer by taking the survey below. If you would like to put your name on the pre-order list, please see the survey link for that too!

Click here for the survey! Or copy this link: https://forms.gle/gf58SPefS2SAz9ed8

Holiday Pies Are Calling – Don’t Miss Out!

Get ready for Woodlawn PTA’s Annual Pie Fundraiser! We’re offering a delicious selection of locally-made handmade fruit pies, pumpkin pie, and vegan fruit mini-pies. All pies come frozen—ready to thaw or heat and serve—perfect for holiday gatherings! Prices range from $10 to $24. Important Dates:

• Orders due: Tuesday, October 29th

• Pickup: Wednesday, November 13th, after school at Woodlawn

Order Online Today! Online orders are required, if you have any questions please reach out to woodlawnschoolPTA@gmail.com. Please do not send checks or cash in Wednesday folders, as we can’t guarantee they’ll be received.

Thank you for supporting our school and happy pie season!

It's Pizza Night! Tuesday, October 22nd

Sparky's Pizza is once again partnering with the Woodlawn PTA on Tuesday, October 22nd for this profit share event. Sparky's will donate 10% of total sales for the day to Woodlawn PTA! This year our goal is $500! Funds raised help support PTA events, movie nights, Woodlawn Resilience Fund and more! Here are the details:

• Both Sparky's NE locations in Portland will participate in the fundraiser: Lombard/MLK and Brazee/MLK

• Order Online! sparkyspdx.com.

Please share with friends and family and support Woodlawn! PIZZA NIGHT!