Duniway Dispatch
June 14, 2024
Calendar
Main Office Summer Hours
The main office will remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on June 17 and 18.
The main office will be closed for the summer starting June 19.
The main office will reopen starting August 13, 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.
Class placement letters will be emailed to families the week of August 19.
- August 17: Duniway Community Care Day
- August 23: Welcome Back to Duniway Meet and Greet, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
- August 27: First day of school for Grades 1-5
- September 3: First official full day for all kindergarteners
- See below for additional kindergarten dates
2024-2025 School Year Start and End Times
- The school day will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m.
- The school day will end at 11:50 a.m. on the following Early Release Wednesdays
- September 25
- October 23
- November 20
- December 18
- February 26
- March 19
- April 23
- May 21
Summer Dates for Incoming Kindergarten Students
July 13 and August 17 - Summer Family Connect Event
- The PTA will be hosting a gathering for families with incoming kindergarten students from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the Duniway playground.
August 27 and August 28 - Family Conversations
- Teachers will be reaching out in late August to schedule individual in-person family conversations. You and your child will have a chance to look around the classroom and talk to the teacher in a one-to-one setting.
August 29 and August 30 - Ramp Up Days
- Prior to the first day of school, your student will have a chance to come in for one full-day “warm up” on either Thursday, August 29th or Friday, August 30th. This is a great opportunity for your child to be with a small group of peers, practice a day with their teacher, and start to become familiar with the Kindergarten routine. Because teachers plan for individual students, they are not able to switch Ramp Up days. Please mark your calendars:
- August 29th: Students who meet the teacher on August 27th will attend 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- August 30th: Students who meet the teacher on August 28th will attend 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
September 3 - First Full Day of School for Kindergarten Students
Principal's Message
Dear Duniway School Community,
That's a wrap. We made it to the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Congratulations to our 5th graders for all of your outstanding achievements. Today, as we celebrate the end of your elementary school journey, we want you to know how proud we are of you. You've shown us what it means to strive for excellence, and it has been an honor to serve as your principal for the past two years. We look forward to seeing your continued success in middle school and beyond.
The school year is one for the record books. Despite many challenges, we closed the year in a better place than where we started. It was a collective effort, with the various unions and the district arriving at updated contracts for all of our employees that better serve staff and students. We are fortunate to have a fantastic new superintendent, Dr. Kimberly Armstrong, and I can't wait for her to start full-time on July 1st. And our district is rallying in the face of significant budget constraints; we will see many fewer layoffs than initially anticipated.
As we step into the summer, we acknowledge that there are some uncertainties around staffing at Duniway. Dr. Melvin and I have expressed our school's needs to the central decision-makers. This matter is a top priority and will be addressed in August.
A few logistical tidbits: the wrong slide for the playground was sent, and we are waiting for its replacement to come across the country. Fingers crossed, it will arrive soon, and the playground will be ready for the kinder meet-ups in August. The office will send class placement letters in August. Please note that placement is subject to shift over the summer as we finalize class configurations. The letter is the sole confirmation of who your student's teacher will be for the 2024-25 school year. Duniway's annual "Meet Your Teacher in the Median" will take place on August 23rd, 2024 at 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Before we part ways for the summer, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you. Your warm welcome and active engagement with me as the principal over the past two years have made my time at Duniway truly special. The students of Duniway have been the highlight of my days, and I will miss them.
I am excited for Duniway's next chapter under Dr. Melvin's leadership. He has been an outstanding senior director for me this year and will be great for Duniway.
Have a great summer.
Best.
Principal Rafferty
Important Update on Receiving School Communications
The district is changing the method we use to communicate with families; we will soon only be using the Remind app. Please follow this link to learn more about how to use Remind.
Each person can choose if they would prefer their messages to come to them via text or email (or both). When we begin using Remind to send out the Duniway Digest, it will come with a link that you must click on to read the newsletter.
Community Care Day August 17, 2024
Help 'beautify' Duniway ahead of the new school year!
Community Care Day will take place on Saturday, August 17th and we are looking for volunteers to help get Duniway ready to welcome back staff and students! Hosted by the Duniway PTA's Green Team, we will help clean up the Duniway grounds (picking up garbage, weeding & pruning garden beds, maybe putting some plants in the ground!) and get ready for the new school year. Adults & kids welcome! Sign up today and the Green Team will be in touch with details.
Duniway School Counseling Newsletter - Summer Transition
As the school year comes to a close, the school counseling team wants to recognize and celebrate our amazing Duniway students and community! This year has been full of twists and turns - from a work stoppage to an ice storm - and our students and families demonstrated resilience, flexibility, and kindness throughout it all. Ms. Soennichsen and Ms. Rachel both look forward to welcoming students back in the fall and we wish the best of luck to our 5th-grade Duniway Dragons who are moving on to middle school!
Please review the summer programming resources below and explore the Duniway School Counseling Website for many other community resources:
PPS Summer Programming: Create*Learn*Play!
Portland Parks & Recreation: Summer Free Lunch + Play
Multnomah County Library: Summer Read!
Discounts & free days - Portland Art Museum & OMSI
Creative project ideas: OKYou
Have a safe, healthy, and relaxing summer break!
Monika and Rachel
Monika Stampf Soennichsen, MS, LSC (she/her)
Elementary School Counselor
Duniway Elementary School
(503) 916-6343, extension 76538
Rachel Connors, MS, LSC (she/her)
Elementary School Counselor
Duniway Elementary School
971-429-4703 (call/text)
Free Lunches
The Nutrition Services department is very proud to partner with Portland Parks and Recreation to provide free lunches to all children in our community ages 1-18 at select parks throughout the city. Portland Parks and Recreation's Free Lunch + Play is open to all (no registration or enrollment necessary) and our team will be making lunches for children to enjoy in the park (grab and go meals are no longer permissible). This service will be offered Monday through Friday, June 26 through August 9 (except July 4 and 5).
Alberta Park (NE 19th Ave and NE Jarrett St) 11:30-1:00pm
Cathedral Gardens (8652 N Swift Way, Portland OR 97203) 12:00-1:00PM
Columbia Park (N. Woolsey Ave and N Winchell St) 11:30-1:00pm
Creston Park (SE 44th Ave and SE Powell Blvd) 11:30-1:00pm
Essex Park (SE 76th Ave and Center St) 11:30-1:00pm
Holly Farm Park (10819 SW Capitol Hwy) 11:30-1:00pm
Irving Park (875 NE Fremont St) 11:30-1:00pm
Kenton Park (N. Delaware Ave and N. Kilpatrick) 12:00-1:30pm
K'hunamokwst Park (5200 NE Alberta St) 12:00-1:30pm
Lents Park (SE 92nd Ave and SE Steele St) 11:30-1:00pm
McCoy Park (N. Newman Ave and N. Newark St) 12:00-1:30pm
Montavilla Park (NE 82nd Ave. and Glisan St) 12:00-1:30pm
Mt Scott Park (SE 72nd Ave and SE Ramona St) 12:00-1:30pm
Peninsula Park (700 N. Rosa Parks Way) 12:00-1:30pm
St Johns Park (8427 N. Central St) 11:30-1:00pm
Stephens Creek Crossing (6715 SW 26th Ave) 12:00-1:30pm
Please visit our webpage for more information. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Fliers Approved for Distribution
Camps, Classes, & After School Programs:
Rec Tennis Summer Tennis Camps
Skate Like a Girl Summer Camp (Jun. 17 - Aug. 23)
PSU Jase Coburn Basketball Camps (Aug. 5-8)
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)
Portland Art Intensive at Buckman (Jun. 17 - Jul. 12)
Portland Metro Fire Camp for Women (Portland Jun. 21-23, Sherwood Jul. 12-14)
VIBE of Portland East Winds Band Camp (July 22-26)
(Spanish) (Russian)VIBE of Portland Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids
Cognizart 360 Arts Summer Camp (Jul. 8-12, 15-19, & 22-26)
OSU Summer Reading Program (Jun. 15 - Aug. 17)
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:
Apano/Jade District Movie Night (Aug. 2)
Rose Festival Student Volunteer Opportunities (Jun. 1-7)
AFS-USA Student Exchange Programs information sessions (Jun. 10)
Oregon State University Summer Dog-training Research Program for Children with Developmental Differences
City of Portland 311 Non-Emergency Hotline
(Spanish) (Vietnamese) (Chinese) (Russian) (Somali)
Vaccinations, Health & Wellness:
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):
If you have any questions, please reference the Promoting Events and Activities in PPS Schools webpage, the 2020-21 Update on Flier Distribution for Non-Governmental Organizations, or contact Ryan Vandehey at rvandehey@pps.net.