Beverly Cleary Connection

Another wonderful week in the books! Things are really beginning to flow, and I hope students are feeling the same way. This week, we started the week with a lockdown drill, a district requirement that takes place two times throughout the year. During this practice drill, teachers (lock the classroom door and barricade if possible, cover windows, turn off the lights, move out of sight, maintain silence and wait for first responders, take attendance, don't open door for anyone) and students (immediately move away from the threat, get to a safe area/classroom or move away from the school, stay out of sight and maintain silence inside the classroom) have roles to remain safe and composed. This week's drill was swiftly carried out.

This week, we also implemented a few minor changes to breakfast in the cafeteria. As you know, breakfast is now offered for free to every student. This is excellent, but it means we have to iron out some processes to ensure students are arriving to class on time (8:45 AM) and garbage is being thrown away. Click here for some breakfast reminders!

The end of last week and this week has been met with illness for many. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful substitute teachers to support student learning and to our committed teachers who create plans while feeling unwell to ensure learning is still taking place at a high level. Please be sure to read the letter below from our Chief of Student Support Services, Jey Buno, for more on preventing illness. Here's to hoping for healthy upcoming weeks.

Looking ahead to next week, Friday, October 11, is a state inservice day. In layman's terms, it's a non - school day for both staff and students. If you're anything like me, this day snuck up on you, so I wanted to be sure to mention it here.

It looks like it's going to be another beautiful weekend. I had the joy of watching some awesome 6th grade soccer last weekend; it's so fun to see how student friend groups mesh through sports! They did a great job, and I was so glad I could be there to see them in action. A special thanks to the parents and students who invite me to attend- it's a highlight of this job for me. This weekend, I'm planning to ride my bike around our wonderful city- we sure are lucky to live here!

Have a tremendous weekend!

With a district-mandated increase in student PE time, we now have three PE teachers and two busy gyms! Our PE teachers are doing an awesome job of juggling spaces, making sure the students move their bodies and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

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

CLICK HERE to read the 10/04/24 PTA Newsletter.

This week includes:

• PTA Meeting Agenda
• Meet the PTA Board
• After-school enrichments still have spots available!
• Steeplejack Dine-out Fundraiser
• Volunteer Opportunities
• and more!