SES Messenger

Sunnyside Community,

First of all I want to say thank you so much for the amazing auction last Friday night. Not only did we raise above and beyond our goal, we had such a fun night celebrating our mutual love of Sunnyside. Thank you a million times over.

This week we have been celebrating our warmer weather by heading outside to enjoy a few field trips and take some walks. Eric's class visited SCRAP PDX, Frances to Experiment PDX, Becca and Mary's classes headed to Lone Fir Cemetery, Carrie's class to Oaks Bottom, Mary Gage and Sarah to Reed Cooley Gallery. Robin and Micheal's classes were able to visit the Buddhist Temple and we also welcomed Northwest Noggin to have our 4th graders look at brains!

There will be an Earth Day Celebration at Sunnyside tomorrow (not put on by Sunnyside) and many of our students will be participating to earn service hours. Our middle schoolers are busy earning their service hours and participating in end of year events. Speeches have started and per usual, the students are thoughtful, introspective, and full of wisdom. It is a pleasure knowing your kids.

Thank you for all you do!

Eryn

• Fri, Apr 19, 5-8pm: SES Parents Night Out
  

• Sat, Apr 20, 11:30am: SES Earth Day Celebration

• Thu, Apr 25, 3:30-6:30pm: SES student-led conferences (information coming from teachers)

• Thu, Apr 25, 3pm: SES PTSA Plant Sale

• Fri, Apr 26: MS marine biology trip permission forms and family contributions due

• Fri, Apr 26: 6th grade shadow day (for new families)

• Fri, Apr 26, 3pm: SES PTSA Plant Sale
  

• Mon-Fri, May 6-10: SES Staff Appreciation Week

• Mon-Fri, May 13-17 - Middle School Marine Biology Trips

• Wed, May 22, 8:45am: SES PTSA meeting: SES room 102

• Tues, May 21, 5-10pm: Bagdad Pub (not including theater) SES restaurant fundraiser

• Tues, May 21, 6-7pm: Connect to Kindergarten

• Mon, May 27: Memorial Day. No School

What a fun and busy time at Sunnyside! The Gala, Friday evening, was a special event. Thanks to those who came. It was full of so much joy! Thank you also to those who participated in the online auction, donated items, volunteered their time, or sponsored a party board. We raised about $51,000 for our school and the Fund for PPS!

Party Board spots are going fast but you can still get in on the action and go to one of these wonderful community sponsored events. Join a party board HERE today. Boards will close on April 22nd.

We are still looking for three more people to help with Item Distribution on April 25 and/or 26. Sign up here.

And, finally, keep it on your radar for next month. The last PTSA meeting of the year will be May 22 (moved from the 15th). Please plan on joining us in-person or online at 8:45am.

Gratefully,

Steph - stephbarnhart1@gmail.com & Heather - tanky34@gmail.com

Need a date TONIGHT? There is still room left at Parent’s Night Out where SES 8th grade students (with adult support) will be offering babysitting Friday, April 19 from 5:00-8:00PM at Sunnyside! There will be a cheese pizza dinner and MANY activities provided. The cost is a sliding scale of $30-50 per student. Please sign up by texting Julianne (and SES parent and PPS teacher) at 503-939-5673 with your student/s name and grade/s. Thanks for supporting our students! See all the details here.

Come celebrate Earth Day with us tomorrow at Sunnyside School Yard at 11:30am! Join us for a neighborhood parade in honor of Earth Day by dressing as an animal or plant. If you don't have a costume, we will also have a mask-making station. The parade starts at noon, followed by a gathering in the Sunnyside Community Center. This is a collaboration with www.makingearthcool.com

We are still MANY tens of thousands of dollars behind on our marine biology budget for Middle School Trips. Here are the links to make payments (if you have not done so already).

• 6th Grade: Pay Now

• 7th Grade: Pay Now

• 8th Grade: Pay Now

• Go Fund Scholarship

A community member called the office and let us know that they had been hit by a car dropping off a student. SLOW DOWN! Being late for school is no reason to put the community in danger.

Are you looking to make connections with peers in the LGBTQ+ community? Are you curious about what middle school or high school might be like for you? Are you an educator or caregiver who wants to learn more about how to support your LGBTQ+ students? Do you want to learn more about how Oregon Department of Education supports and affirms LGBTQ+ identity in our state? Come be in joyful community to celebrate and affirm everything under the rainbow.

The event is Saturday, April 27th 9:15am-2pm. This day is for students 3rd-12th grade, their caregivers, and PPS staff alike. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and entertainment will be provided; you bring the joy! For more information or to register, please email Alison Gemperle.

See Y'all there!

YALL Planning Committee

Our student led conferences are scheduled for Thursday April 25th from 3:30-6:30. These conferences are traditionally student-led and give families an opportunity to see the classroom through their students eyes.

Families can come any time during the allowed time. Information will be coming from your student(s) teachers shortly.

The SES seedling sale is back, and happening at the same time as both student-led conferences, and auction item pick up! Join us, 3pm–5pm Thursday and Friday, or while plant supplies last! BONUS: DAIRY HILL ICE CREAM will be there with treats for sale and SES 8th graders will be there selling custom screen printed shirts to raise money for their Marine Biology Trip to Catalina Island.

You can expect to see starts for lettuce, radicchio, spinach, kale, chard, mustard greens, carrots, salad turnips, peppers, eggplant, a variety of delicious tomatoes, and, of course, the famous Sunnyside sunflowers 🌻🌻🌻 All proceeds support the SES garden program.

We need someone to step up and help run Staff Appreciation week activities and gifts. This is a fun and IMPORTANT job that helps our beloved staff members feel our love and appreciation! Emily, SAW lead, needs someone to bounce ideas off of and help plan meals, gift cards and other goings on. SAW takes place May 6-10, but help planning is needed now. If you can help out, please connect with Emily Lillywhite on Konstella or email her at emilylillywhite@gmail.com ASAP.

Do you have a microwave that you no longer need? We could use one upstairs in the Middle School staff room. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Camp Fire summer registration is now open! They are offering 6 weeks of summer camp starting on June 24th! The last day of Summer Day Camp will be on August 2nd. More information found HERE.

Each year as our SES 8th graders prepare to leave for high school, they must complete a portfolio of assignments designed to help them think both retrospectively, prospectively and introspectively. One of those assignments is a speech that talks about something they believe.

On Tuesdays and Fridays during middle school morning meeting, 8th graders are delivering these speeches, starting at 8:45am.

You can find the schedule of speeches here. The schedule does change, so please be sure to check for updates regularly if there's someone you really want to see. (Note: No one is allowed to exit or enter the auditorium when a speech is in progress; please show up on time.)

Save the Date! Our wonderful neighbors, McMenamins Bagdad Pub (restaurant only, not including theater), will donate 50% of ALL SALES TO SUNNYSIDE on May 21st, 5pm-10pm!! This is huge - spread the word! Dine in or take out. Check out the menu HERE!

Arts Alive is a spectacular collaboration from all four performing arts departments at Franklin High School (choir, band, theater, and dance). We invite you to come see a performance and take it all in: April 19, 20, 26, 27 @ 7:00. Tickets can be purchased here: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=232924 and more info can be found here: https://www.danceatfranklin.org.

Help us support our students as the warmer weather approaches. We have a wish list for hygiene products HERE. These are a suggestion of what we could use. Please bring items that are not directly shipped to Jenny in the office. Thank you for help.

• "The Boys are Not Alright: building a culture of healthy masculinity" (April 25 at Cleveland HS)
  
• Prevention Rocks: April 20 (NEW)
• VIBE of Portland S.H.I.N.E. for Young Artists Summer Camps (Jun. 24-28, Jul. 1-3, Jul. 8-12, Aug. 12-16)
  
• PPS & Oaks Park Queer Family Night, Monday April 22
• New to Portland Ride: East Neighborhoods, April 30
  
• East Portland Neighborhood Bike Fair, April 26
  
• Grant HS Youth Track Meet - April 11, 18 and 25th
  
• CampOUT is a Queer Youth Empowerment camp located in the Laurelhurst neighborhood serving LGBTQIA+ middle school youth. More details HERE

• 8th grade speech calendar

• Sign up to chaperone Middle School field study

• Apply for Free/Reduced Meals - NEW Oregon expanded income guidelines

• Sign up to support Christina at lunch

• SES current volunteer needs

• Konstella - One stop shop for parent information (PTSA)

• 2023-2024 Back to School Ask

• SES attendance form: English | Español

• Sunnyside School Page

• SES PTSA website | After school activities at SES

• SchoolPay | SchoolCafé

• Communicable disease protocol - aka when should I keep my child home from school?

• MESD head lice resources and information