MLC Weekly News and Notes 2024-25

Hello, MLC Community. Here we are with only one more week left of school for 2024!! Let's make it a good one with students here and engaged all week! School will be closed 12/23-1/3 for Winter Break.

Thursday is Solstice! This is a long standing event at MLC. Please see all the details below.

Friday 12/20 will be pajama day!!

Please take a moment to fill out the Successful Schools Survey!

Every year, Portland Public Schools gathers feedback about school climate and culture from students, families, and staff through the Successful Schools Survey. The results help us understand the needs of our community in each school and as a district overall. We use the data to provide targeted feedback and training to leaders and staff on how to create healthy school environments that are welcoming for all.

Here is the December edition of our Family Resource Newsletter (from our Social Worker Clement), focused on connecting families to support, community, and care. This month is centered on holiday support and community giving for our kids and families. If you would like to request a Holiday Meal Grocery Card, please use this link.

Link to Request a Holiday Meal Fund Grocery Card

Warmly,

Suezann & Darren

Monday December 16

Tuesday December 17

6x12 BSU/Students of Color lunch club in Alberti's room

Wednesday December 18

Early Release @12:45

Thursday December 19

6x8 SAGA lunch club in Erewyn's room

Solstice

Friday December 20 - Pajama Day!

Last day of school for 2024!!

Coming Soon:

12/23-1/3 -Winter Break!!

1/6 First Day Back!

1/8 PTSA Meeting

1/10 MESD Audiologist (if you want your child tested, please notify the front office)

1/10 HS Field Trip Western Oregon University

1/15 Winter Elective Sign Ups

1/16 Tour for perspective families

1/20 MLK Day (no school)

It's Solstice time! The entire K-12 will gather to perform, watch and enjoy being together. Because this will involve our entire K-12 - students and staff - we will be packed into the space. For this reason - This performance will be live streamed and parents are welcome to come watch in the cafeteria space or from anywhere you like! Parents are also invited to join outside on the blacktop after the performance for cake and drumming.

Details:

Thursday December 19th

For students:

The Solstice performance will start at 1:30. Teachers and staff will support students with this event in the auditorium.

For parents:

We will have a live feed to the cafeteria as well as a livestream through Youtube for parents that want to join. We will send the link out via REMIND by 10:00 am. For those that want to see the event at home/later - The recorded show will be available on the website when it is uploaded later. :)

After the performance inside, parents are invited to join students out on the blacktop (not the playground)- around 2:30-2:45 pm. Parking will be on the street.

At 3:00 - Students will be returning to their classrooms before the end of the day to take attendance. Parents cannot leave with their student from the celebration. Students MUST go back inside with their teacher for regular release. This is to ensure safety for all students.

Thank you for your help to make this a wonderful and safe event for our students!

Our MLC Social Work & Counseling team in partnership with the PTSA is announcing our 4th annual Holiday Meal Fundraiser to support our MLC families in need!

If you have the means, we are asking you to consider contributing to this important cause for our community. Your donation will allow MLC families to purchase food and other necessities during the holiday season. As food prices continue to soar, the need this year continues to be high.

The past three year's drives were a HUGE success thanks to the generous support of our MLC community. The money raised has had a direct positive impact on many families in our school community. Let's make this year even better than the last!

Link to Donate

Link to Request a Holiday Meal Fund Grocery Card

Thanks to the few of you who have already signed up to teach an elective for Winter Term (January 22 - March 12; 7 weeks). We still need many more volunteers, especially for the 1x3!

Looking for what to teach? Here are some useful items we have here at MLC that might inspire you:

• 3D printer

• Guitars & ukuleles

• Legos

• Costumes

• Crochet & knitting supplies

• Magazines for collage

• Many, many recycled objects for art electives

• Green screen & microphone

• Board games

• Chromebooks for keyboarding

• Magic: The Gathering card decks

• Notebooks for journaling & creative writing

• An amazing neighborhood for exploring

• Supplies, lessons, and instructions for Icky Sticky Science

Please use this Google Form to Volunteer for Winter Electives and communicate your choices. It includes more details about the program and ideas if you aren’t quite sure what to teach.

GRADE LEVELS, TIMES, and DATES

Winter Term Electives begin the week of January 22nd and end on March 12th. (7 classes: January 22, 29; February 5, 12, 19; March 5, 12; no class on early release day 2/26)

1x3:

Wednesdays, 2:20 - 3:05 p.m. (45 minutes)

4x5:

Period 1: Wednesdays, 1:30 - 2:15 p.m. (45 minutes)

Period 2: Wednesdays, 2:20 - 3:05 p.m. (45 minutes)

Not ready to teach on your own? Sign-up with a friend to co-teach or let us know you’d like to get your feet wet by working alongside an MLC staff member. Once you see how much fun it can be, we know you’ll be hooked and come back for more! Email Dana Lipson (dlipson@pps.net) with any questions, ideas, etc.

Deadline extended to TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17th.

Cell Phones are not allowed in MLC classrooms or anywhere else during class time. They will be locked in a safe zone during each class by the classroom teacher. We will be very vigilant in keeping our classrooms phone free at MLC in order to keep learning distraction free. Please make sure you are discussing with your student prior to the first day. We will have students and parent/guardian sign a no cell phone agreement at conferences for grades 6x12.

7x12 Cell Phone Policy

Kx6 Cell Phone Policy

HERE is the December monthly resource newsletter from our social worker Clement. It is a great place to find school and community resources that could benefit you and your family. It includes announcements about relevant events and opportunities, basic needs support, mental health support, and much more.

Social Work Wish list

Staff Wish List

Parent Vue

School Pay - Set up your account today!

Attendance Line 503-916-3656

TEACHER & STAFF GIFTS OF GRATITUDE: Last call for contributions

‘Tis the season to show our MLC teachers and staff how grateful we are for their hard work and big hearts! We appreciate the generous donations we’ve received so far! If you are hoping to contribute a physical item, please email Sierra and Chenney ASAP. We are beginning to collect the final needed items and assemble bags so that we can distribute them before winter break, but we’ll still gratefully accept financial donations to get us to our goal! If you would like to contribute, check out our MLC Teachers & Staff Holiday Gifts of Gratitude spreadsheet for donation details.

EQUAL EXCHANGE SALE: Fundraiser for 4x5 spring field trip

We are hosting this fundraiser in collaboration with the 4x5 class to raise funds for their annual spring overnight field trip to Camp Hancock. Equal Exchange is a worker-owned democratic workplace that provides an alternative to the corporate supply chain, offering fairly traded, sustainably grown organic foods by small farmer co-ops. Check out our selection of coffee, tea, and chocolate bars at MLCPTSA.org. We’ve restocked the popular Congo whole bean coffee and ordered several new varieties of chocolate bars so shop online or at Solstice and get delicious treats just in time for the holidays. Thank you for supporting experiential learning at MLC.

BOTTLEDROP: Collect for 4x5 field trip fund through 12/31

We participate in BottleDrop year round, but all money earned through the end of December will be dedicated to the 4x5 annual spring overnight field trip fund. It’s an easy way to recycle your refundable glass, aluminum, and plastic beverage containers AND support experiential learning at MLC! Our MLC-labeled BottleDrop blue bags are always available in the front office and in bins around the school. We’ll also be handing them out at Solstice and will happily take any full bags you’ve collected, though you are welcome to deposit them anytime. Please read the flyer inserted in the bag for important details and contact Development@MLCPTSA.org with any questions.

CRAFT FAIR: Thank you!

Huge shout out to Jeremy Booth for his work coordinating the Craft Fair this year, to all our amazing student and adult artisans, and to the supporters who came to shop! It was inspiring to see so many fun creations from over 60 vendors and to feel the energy of our MLC community mingling in the halls.

McMENAMINS FRIENDS & FAMILY NIGHT: Thank you!

And a big thank you to everyone who joined us at McMenamins Blue Moon following the Craft Faire. It was lovely to visit with MLC friends over dinner and drinks and while we don’t have the final numbers just yet, we think it was a very successful first Restaurant Night Out. Be sure to save the date for our next event at Pastini on NE Broadway on Thursday, January 16.