The Mt. Tabor Tribune

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Over the past week, students received pre-forecasting sheets in a presentation from their counselors during Advisory. Given the challenging staffing forecast for next year, our school has placed many different election options on the pre-forecasting forms for students to express their interest in taking next year. Not all of the electives listed will be able to be offered, and we will be prioritizing courses with higher rates of student interest to ensure that all of our courses are sufficiently enrolled.

Please look over the forecasting options with your student, discuss their preferences, and sign their pre-forecasting paperwork. Students will be completing their forecasting next week in their social studies classes.

There are several key things to remember about forecasting:

1. Students are not guaranteed to receive their forecasted courses. Their forecast communicated their preferences, but depending on where courses are placed on the schedule, what courses are highly enrolled, and other constraints, they may not be able to access their courses of preference.
2. Mt. Tabor Middle School is not able to make changes to student schedules after the master schedule has been built except in case of an error (duplicate class, wrong grade level class, student doesn’t have prerequisites for class).

If you haven't ordered a yearbook yet this year, the deadline for purchasing one is April 21, 2025. Following that date, we will be getting our order number into Dorian, so this is a hard deadline. Parents can check SchoolPay receipts to see if they've paid for one yet. We also have posted a purchase list on the office window for students to check.

You can send cash/check with your student and have them bring it to Ann in the office OR you can go to Schoolpay.com via this link or the square below to make a purchase.

Thank you!

If you are an 8th grader and would like to have a baby photo in the 2024-25 yearbook, please complete the survey at this link below to submit a picture:
8th Grade baby picture submission

Hello Mt. Tabor Families,

The district has published the following regarding extra school days added at the end of the year:

Due to school closures during inclement weather in February, there will be two make-up days added to the 2024-25 school year.

• Students in Pre-K through Grade 11: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 and Thursday, June 12, 2025 will now be the last two days of school for Pre-Kindergarten-11th grade.

• Seniors: Because of senior graduation schedules, the last day for 12th graders, May 29, will be extended to a full day.

As a result, the 8th grade Promotion will be on June 12th. More information regarding Promotion will be sent out separately in the coming months.

Thank you!

“3 Cups of Tea” is on view at the @morrisonstreetmini throughout March. Examining the artworks, interviews, shared stories of the artists @hzughaib @mohamedhafez & #jacoblawrence, and those they interviewed. Mt. Tabor Art students had rich dialogue about migration, immigration, refugees and shared humanity. “The common thread that connects us all is vastly bigger than the nitty gritty differences…” - Mohamed Hafez. "3 Cups of Tea comes from a Pakistani proverb that says when you share the first cup of tea you’re a stranger, with the second cup you are an honored guest, and with the third cup you become family.” This art will be added to a bigger work of art for a PPS Heart of Portland exhibit at the @portlandartmuseum in April. All art students contributed. #freelittleartgallery #morrisonstreetmini

https://www.instagram.com/share/BACn43TBXT

There has been increased interest from students lately as to what is in the MTMS Parent-Student Handbook, specifically regarding personal phones. Please go over school expectations with your student around the use of electronic devices, which can be found in our school handbook by following the link below.

Thank you!

Any time a student rides a different bus, is taking the bus for the first time or even wants to get off at a different stop than normal, parents need to write a note to the driver letting them know of this change. The student should bring this note to the office to be initialed by one of the Admin. Assts. before giving it to the driver. Drivers will not accept different riders or any changes to normal stops without parent permission. The drivers do their best to get to know all their riders and their stops so that they can keep everyone safe.

Thank you for understanding!

1) The PTA is holding a Bottle Drop Fundraiser to support our teachers/classrooms. Blue Bottle Drop bags are available in the office for any parents stopping by school or students can pick up one up.

The Benefit is Oya No Kai’s primary fundraising event, and it’s a great party besides. We hope you will consider joining us. Feel free to start perusing the catalog online to start planning your bids!

​

Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025

Time: 6:00 – 9:30 pm

Location: The Melody Event Center, 615 SE Alder Street, Portland, OR 97214

Cost: $85/ticket ($50 for teachers & school staff)

[Can you hyperlink “Ticket Sales” to

https://onk.tofinoauctions.com/benefit2025/homepages/]

The Annual Benefit can’t be as fun or run smoothly without wonderful volunteers. Some of the activities we need help with include:

• Event set-up
• Monitors for the silent auction
• Recorders/runners during the live auction
• Registration table
• Extra hands at the Dessert Dash and Wine Wheel
• Event clean-up
• And more! (See the full list of volunteer opportunities)

Volunteers working the event will be given a bid number and dinner in the green room. Volunteers who would like to have the event dinner and purchase a ticket, please let Victoria know at benefit@oyanokai.org.

Dessert Dash Donations! Calling all bakers!

To donate a homemade dessert or something purchased, please email: Holly Telerant at hollytelerant@gmail.com

Ideally, desserts would feed 10 people or more. Individual desserts (cupcakes, big cookies, macaroons, donuts) are easy to serve for a crowd, but gorgeous cakes and pies are popular too! Unfortunately, we cannot take desserts that need refrigeration.

Let us know if you would like contribute. Or if you are connected to a sweet small business, can work your magic to get something donated??

If you prefer to pitch in with your wallet, donate funds to purchase desserts to Ashley Parkinson:

PayPal: @AshleyJParkinson

Venmo: @Ashley-Parkinson-2

Wine & Sake Wheel Donations

The wheel is one of the fun games during the ONK benefit night. Participants pay to spin the wheel then take home delicious wine and/or sake. All the money raised goes straight to our beloved ONK so everyone wins!

NOW is the time to donate wine and/or sake! Here’s what we need from you:

1-2 bottles with retail of $75 and up or

3-4 bottles with retail of $25-$50 or

2-3 bottles of sake any retail value

NW wines are always preferred (keeping it local) but not required. Pull a few bottles from your stash or visit a local wine shop to purchase your donation.

Email benefit@oyanokai.org to set up drop off of your donation.

Thank you!

Victoria

Volunteer Annual Benefit Manager

Oya no Kai, Inc

Oya No Kai - Many Voices, Three Schools, Two Languages, One Community

親の会: 多くの声、3つの学校、2つの言語、1つのコミュニティ

It is important to PPS that immigrant families feel safe and supported. A number of families have expressed to me and other members of our staff that they are concerned about possible immigration actions under the new presidential administration.

I want to reassure you that our top priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of all students and staff. We continue to work closely with PPS leadership and our community partners to uphold Oregon law prohibiting state and local law enforcement from arresting or detaining people based solely on immigration status. Additionally, Oregon law protects student educational records from use for immigration actions.

In times of uncertainty, it is always beneficial to be proactive and prepared, and it’s crucial that we have up-to-date contact information for you and your student. If you have not done so already, please complete the yearly student verification form to ensure we’re reaching you via the right information and in the right language.

I also wanted to provide the following resources:

• This FAQ and this webpage answer many questions about the steps Portland Public Schools will be taking to safeguard staff and students going forward.

• This page from the Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) includes a family resource hub and culturally specific information for families in the Portland area.

• The Immigrant Legal Resource Center Little Red Card is meant to help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations. The cards can be printed out in your preferred language and carried on your person.

• Know Your Rights for Families/Students (Oregon ACLU)

• Immigrant Rights Resources One Pager

• PPS’s Office for Civil Rights offers support addressing discrimination, harassment, and bias-related concerns.

Please contact me at tlongo@pps.net if you have any questions or concerns. I am here for you and your students, and you have my word that, at Mt. Tabor Middle School, we will always stand together to champion our diversity and support the most vulnerable among us.

Dear PPS Families,

At Portland Public Schools (PPS), the well-being of our students and staff are always our top priority. During the winter months, we often see an increase in illness, and we want to remind you of how we manage illness and work to prevent the spread of contagious diseases to keep everyone safe and healthy.

How We Keep Everyone Safe:

• Monitoring Health: We closely track student and staff absences and look for signs of illness, such as vomiting or rashes. If we notice a rise in sickness, we notify our partners at Multnomah Education School District (MESD) and work with Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) to notify families when someone has been at school while contagious with a school-restrictable communicable disease.

• We offer notifications in multiple languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, and Somali.

• Sending Sick Individuals Home: If a student or staff member shows symptoms listed in the Symptom-based Exclusion Chart, we send them home to prevent spreading illness.

• Promoting Healthy Habits: We encourage everyone to practice these important habits:

• Wash hands frequently

• Cover coughs and sneezes

• Stay up-to-date with vaccines

• Clean and disinfect shared spaces

• Training and Protocols: PPS develops and trains all schools to follow communicable disease protocols to ensure a consistent and effective response to illness outbreaks.

What You Can Do:

• Keep Sick Children Home: If your child has symptoms like fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, please keep them home. If symptoms worsen, seek medical care for your child.

• Report Illnesses: Let the school know if your child is sick so we can monitor for increased illness.

• Encourage Healthy Hygiene: Teach your child to wash their hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, and avoid touching their face.

• Practice Social Distancing: If your child is mildly ill, encourage them to keep their distance from others at home.

• Stay Up-to-Date on Vaccines: Make sure your child’s vaccinations are current to prevent illness. Students can obtain vaccines at:

• Any MCHD Student Health Center

• The Benson Wellness Center

• Community Clinics such as Multnomah County’s Community Vaccination Clinic

• Clean Common Areas: Regularly clean frequently touched surfaces at home.

To learn more about our health policies, visit the PPS School Health Services website or contact your school’s administrator.

Thank you for helping us keep our schools safe and healthy!

The PPS Health Services Team

Please follow the links to see your student-athletes' game schedules:

Franklin Youth Basketball Schedule

Franklin Youth Wrestling Schedule

On April 4th (inservice day), we will be opening up our beautiful studios for a full day of dance, taught by DAF Director Sonia Kellermann, along with several current DAF students. Families can sign up here and they can email danceatfranklin@gmail.com for more information.

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.

Dear PPS families,

As required by the Oregon Department of Education, we are providing you with the 30 Day Notice and Opt Out Form for Statewide Assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The notice is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian and Somali on the PPS Research, Assessment, and Accountability website.

Statewide testing is part of our balanced assessment system that offers all students, especially historically underserved students, opportunities to demonstrate their progress. Information provided by student assessments is critical in helping us determine district and school priorities for improving student learning.

If you have questions, please contact your school office.

Thank you,

PPS Research, Assessment, and Accountability Department

Camps, Classes, & After School Programs:

• Portland Parks & Rec Teen Force at SW Community Center

• VIBE of Portland Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids

• Portland Parks & Rec Environmental Education Nature Field Trips (flyer for teachers)

Summer Camps:

• VIBE PDX East Winds Band Camp (Jul. 21-25, 2025, recorded audition due Jul. 10)

• Cognizart 360Arts Summer Camps (Jul. 7-11, 14-18, & 21-25, 2025)

• OSU Summer Reading Program (Jun. 14 - Aug. 16, 2025)

Preschool Programs:

• Multnomah Early Childhood Program Peer Preschool Classes
  (Spanish) (Vietnamese) (Chinese) (Russian) (Somali) (Korean) (Arabic) (Persian)

• Portland Parks Preschool 2024-25

Community Events & Information:

• Multnomah County: Common Application

• City of Portland: 311 Non-Emergency Hotline
  (Spanish) (Vietnamese) (Chinese) (Russian) (Somali)

Vaccinations, Health & Wellness:

• Multnomah County Student Health Center Immunization Catch-Up Reminder

• Oregon Health Plan & Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace

• Multnomah County: Free Community Vaccination Clinic (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays)
  (English) (Spanish) (Vietnamese) (Chinese) (Russian) (Somali)

• Multnomah County: Student Health Centers (fliers in English, Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese):

• Cleveland HS

• Franklin HS

• Jefferson HS

• McDaniel HS

• Roosevelt HS

We have learned from a number of families that they had checked the box to not receive Remind messages when they did their ParentVue update at the beginning of the year. Please know that all district and school communication will be coming through Remind, so it is important to go in and check to see if you have checked that box.

In addition, if you are receiving what you feel are too many Remind messages, please go into your settings there and select how you would like to receive PPS communication, i.e. text, email, etc.

Thank you!

In just the last week, we are seeing a marked increase in students reporting damaged Chromebooks and lost devices.

In this year's back to school packet (and in the Student Verification process in ParetnVUE), families are required to sign the "Required Technology Consent Policy and Acknowledgments form. In that document, it states:

PPS students who are assigned to take home a District technology device are responsible for all damages or loss, whether intentional or accidental and regardless of whether damage or loss occurs on or off District property. Parents/guardians will be fully financially responsibly for any associated cost for damage, loss, or theft, regardless of whether incidents occur at home or at school.

It is important to emphasize with your students the importance of taking care of their devices. This means that binders containing their devices should be kept in their lockers when not in use, and that they use provided tote bags to support transporting those devices around at school.

The current replacement cost for a Chromebook is $515.00 with chargers costing $11.50. Parents are responsible for paying these fees for lost/damaged cords; lost devices or devices damaged beyond repair; and intentional misuse, abuse, willful or negligent damage by the student or any household members.

Dear Portland Public Schools families and students,

As our students embark on another exciting year of learning and growth, we want you to know it is a priority to create spaces where your students feel safe, cared for, and connected to their learning environment. Ensuring a healthy and safe environment for our students, staff, and families is a shared responsibility, and we must continue to work together to prevent the spread of communicable diseases within our school communities.

Prevention continues to be the best health approach to minimize risk for illness and contagious disease. Our 2024-25 Family Guide for Preventing Illness and Contagious Disease in Schools includes practical prevention strategies such as keeping your student up to date with recommended vaccinations and boosters, outlines steps to take if your child is sick and/or diagnosed with a communicable disease, and addresses the current measles outbreak in Oregon. You can expect all PPS schools and facilities to continue regular cleaning and disinfecting, promoting vaccine and booster clinics, providing access to masks and COVID-19 tests, and improving air circulation.

Our schools remain vigilant and work with the Multnomah County Health Department to respond to communicable disease outbreaks and notify affected families if necessary. You may continue to monitor illness activity in our region through Oregon Health Authority’s Respiratory Virus Data dashboards.

We thank you for entrusting us with your students, and for your cooperation in ensuring our schools remain healthy, safe, and productive learning environments. Please contact your school administrator or Let’s Talk with questions about your school’s health and safety protocols.

In service,

Jey Buno, Chief of Student Support Services

Home of the Eagles. Be sure to follow us on Instagram at mttabormiddleschool

Email: tlongo@pps.net
Website: https://www.pps.net/Domain/143
Location: 5800 Southeast Ash Street, Portland, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 916-5646
X: @Tonya_A_Longo