The Cheetah Coalition #9

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Join the PTA after school today from 2:30 — 4:30 p.m. for the Annual Harvest Festival!

Dear Atkinson Community,

Next Wednesday is an early release day with students leave at 11:50 a.m. On these shorter days, homeroom teachers will implement the Cross-Age Buddies component of our new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum: Caring Schools Community. Cross-age buddies activities pair whole classes of older and younger students for academic and recreational activities that build caring cross-age relationships and create a school-wide climate of trust. Your student won’t want to miss this fun and engaging time.

Next Thursday and Friday (October 24 & 25) are the Principal’s Coffees. The principal from Harrison Park, Leah Dickey, will join us to talk about the middle school that our neighborhood is zoned to and respond to questions. Join me online on Thursday at 7pm or in person on Friday in the cafeteria after drop off.

Debbie Armendariz

Principal

Atkinson Elementary School

darmenda@pps.net

School Main Number: (503) 916-6333

We are welcoming some new staff to Atkinson this month:

• Laura Seckinger is our new half time ESL Teacher

• Tara Mack is our new ISC 3-5 Teacher

• Iñaki Mayo Jurio is our new Educational Assistant working with K–3 DLI classrooms

October is when PPS makes adjustments to the staffing allocations that were originally set the March before. If there is a gap between the March predictions and the October realities, some adjustments are made. This year, we have enrolled many more newcomers (students new to the country) than predicted. To accommodate this change, we were allocated an additional .5 ESL teacher. We were also allocated an additional paraprofessional for our ISC 3-5 classroom.

Read below for some FAQs related to our shifts in enrollment:

Is there a maximum class size after which students are no longer enrolled?

• Yes, for DLI classrooms and ISC classrooms there is a max after which the class is closed and no new students are accepted.
• No, for neighborhood classrooms, there is no max. Students who live in the neighborhood boundary have a guaranteed seat at Atkinson School. If classrooms become enrolled beyond the maximum, additional supports are considered.

What are maximum class sizes?

Max class sizes are set each year by the district and are listed below. We are currently not a Title I school but we have met the current criteria to be a Title I school for next school year.

* The Max class sizes for ISC classrooms is 13.

Do DLI classrooms get any additional support since they are so large?

DLI classrooms are allocated additional support not because of the high enrollment but because of the additional needs of the students who happen to be enrolled in those classrooms. Students in DLI classrooms access intervention support from our Reading Interventionist and have co-taught English Language Arts blocks in 2nd–5th grades. This means that two teachers teach the whole class and are able to split students. Co-taught ELA blocks are only possible due to the .5 ESL that was added through the October rebalancing process. Additionally K–2 DLI classrooms share an educational assistant. Later in the year, we will be allocated additional tutoring support and ⅔ of this support will be focused in the DLI classrooms.

All schools are required to instruct and drill students on emergency procedures so that the students can respond to an emergency without confusion or panic. In the coming weeks, we will be conducting the following drills at Atkinson:

• Team Response Drill on Tuesday, October 22
• Lockdown Drill on Wednesday, October 30
• Secure the Perimeter Drill on Tuesday, November 12

Read more about these drills on the PPS website HERE.

Please DO NOT let people into the building. Every person entering the building needs to ring the doorbell and be admitted by office staff. This is for student and staff safety, as well as protecting you by not making you responsible for who comes in and who doesn't. Even if it feels rude to not open doors, please help us maintain the security of our building and the safety of our students.

We are in need of one or two more parent volunteers to help serve 3rd-5th grade lunch on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:40—12:05 p.m. If you're interested and available, please contact Katie at kcarriker@pps.net. Thank you!

Let's waste less this month with our Ridwell Plastic Film Drive! Between now and November 12, Atkinson families and staff can recycle plastic film! Think ziplocs bags, cling wrap, packing film, bread and cereal bags etc. Anything a bit stretchy you could poke a finger through easily. Look for the recycling bins labeled for Ridwell plastic film in the school main entryway. Tuesday, November 12 will be the day Ridwell comes to pick up the film.

For more information, visit our Atkinson Ridwell page.

Donate Now to support your PTA. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we need your help to make sure we can support our teachers, host great events, and ensure our kids have an excellent school experience. How your money helps:

• a $500 donation pays for all the talent show costs
• a $200 donation pays for 1 teacher's supply fund
• a $100 donation pays for a popsicles on the playground event
• a $30 donation pays for 3 students to attend Día del Niño
• a $10 donation pays for 1 student to participate in running club

Give now at https://app.givebacks.gives/givetoatkinson

Join us to celebrate Día de los Muertos at Atkinson on Friday, October 25! Come to the upper playground after school with the Amigos group for delicious pan de muerto and hot chocolate. Let’s honor the memory of our loved ones together. We invite everyone to add a loved one’s name or share a fond memory in the remembrance area as we celebrate joy, love, and the cycle of life.

The Portland Thorns are offering PPS families a special promotion to attend their Fan Appreciation Night during the final game of the season. Enjoy an exciting evening of spectacular sports as The Thorns, our 3-time women’s championship team, take on Angel City at Providence Center. Quantities are limited, so get your tickets today by scanning the QR code on the flyer! You can also visit www.thorns.group/PPS If you have any questions or would like to purchase more than eight tickets, please reach out to Vinnie Simone at vsimone@timbers.com.

Our neighbor down the street is hosting two events for the community on Thursday, October 31:

• An annual blood drive from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
• Trick or treat from 5–7 p.m.

See the attached flyers for more information.

• Monday, October 21 — Vision and Hearing Screenings for K, 1st, and 3rd graders

• Wednesday, October 23 — Early Release at 11:50 a.m.

• Friday, October 25 — Día de los Muertos Celebration, 2:30–3:30 p.m.

• October 28–31 — Spirit Week
• Thursday, October 31 — End of First Quarter
• Friday, November 1 — NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS, Grading Day

• Sunday, November 3 — Daylight Saving Time ends, turn clocks back one hour
• Monday, November 4 — NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS, Teacher Professional Development