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Saturday, August 24 2024
Hello, MTMS Staff and Families,
I am sorry for this newsletter coming late to your inbox this week. It's been a busy last week of activity trying to get ready for the school year.
I want to make sure that I publicly thank that families and students who came out to lend a hand in beautifying our campus last Saturday for Community Care Day. While the size of our work crew definitely limited how much work we could get done in a short-two hour timeframe, we did some great work in weeding, pruning shrubs, and beautifying the space near the main entry, All of us there know that making our campus shine take a lot of ongoing hard work and dedication--anyone who steps into our interior courtyard can see the love, time, and effort that has gone in to that space thanks to the work of our PTA and Ninebark Garden Design can see that--and we are going to need more ongoing landscaping efforts from our community in the weeks to come to support this work. I encourage all of you to consider how you might be able to give back--with you sweat equity or donations--to these ongoing efforts.
Teachers and staff were all back on campus on starting on Wednesday, and we have been busy learning and planning together for the last three days in preparation for the school year. It is always so heartwarming for me to see the refreshed faces and hear the excitement about another year of school. We have a great first week of activities planned for students in all grade levels, complete with community building games, assemblies, etc. We are still in the process of trying to ensure that our positions in the building are all filled, and we are working with HR to ensure we have staff hired as expeditiously as possible.
Our assistant principal. Ms. Krauel, is currently away from her position, and we hope to see her return sometime in mid to late September. However, I am thrilled that Mr. Kevin Bacon--a long-time PPS admin who also subbed for me last year while I was chaperoning the JRR--will be with us until she returns. I am so grateful that he has agreed to join us for the next several weeks, so please do not hesitate to reach out to either of us if we can be of support.
In this newsletter, you will find specific information about the logistics of the first week of school, including our always important traffic control plan around the building for drop off and pick up. I am hopeful that all families take the opportunity to review the handbook and the transportation plan prior to the first days of school so that all of us know what to expect. You can expect to see our staff out and engaged in conversations with drivers that may need reminders of the traffic pattern during these peak times, so please be kind--remember, these are our children's teachers and administrators trying to keep student safe and traffic flowing for everyone.
I also want to remind families that these first weeks back to school are tiring ones. Children are transitioning out of their summer routines and schedules, and it can be a tough adjustment. They may come home absolutely exhausted at the end of these weeks, so any support you can give to ensure they get enough sleep, are well fed, and have the opportunity to share about their days, would help them to acclimate to these changes in positive and productive ways.
Wishing you all a delightful weekend, and I look forward to connecting with all of you (and your children!!!!) next week.
All the best,
Ms. Tonya Longo
Principal, Mt. Tabor Middle School
Families should have received phone calls from your student's WEB leader late this last week. These 8th grade students will be working with your students all year in a host of engaging and fun activities!
What to know about the first day for 6th Grade Students:
- All 6th grade students will meet their Period 2/Homeroom/Advisory teachers on the front lawn (along Ash Street) . Students who do no know their schedule can check in with our WEB advisors or staff members out front, and we can make sure you get connected with your teacher.
- 6th Grade students only need to bring a writing utensil, a water bottle, and lunch from home (if they are not eating hot lunch). Everything else they will need for the day will be provided. Please do not send students with large backpacks or bags as they will not need them.
- Advisory teachers will lead students into the building and to their classrooms before the fun of the morning begins. WEB leaders have a lot of community building games/activities in store to foster a great start.
- 6th grade students will eat lunch with their WEB groups before they start off on their abbreviated schedule. WEB leaders and staff members will be in the hallways helping students navigate from class to class; they will get a paper copy of their schedule and have the opportunity to map our their routes in their Period 1 classes).
- The day ends for students with a Popsicle social out on the recess grounds before their 4:00 dismissal. We welcome of 6th grade families to attend!
But what are parents to do?
- You are welcome to join the principal once students are situated in the building for some refreshments and community building. This is an informal gathering so that we all have a chance to connect and maybe breathe a collective sigh of relief that our students are launched for their first day. our MTMS PTA will also be there to build connections.
Hello Families,
As we begin this new year, please be sure to go into ParentVue and review and update the information we have on file for your student. Once logged in, you will see a tab at the top of the screen saying "Online Registration/Yearly Verification/Transfer Application". Click here and follow the prompts for the yearly student verification process. If you do not have a ParentVue account set up yet, please contact me, Ann Pinzelik, at apinzeli@pps.net, and I will be happy to do that for you.
Thank you!
The school day for middle school students across PPS will look a bit different this fall, with the regular school day starting at 9:15 and ending at 4:00 pm. We are excited that this additional time will allow us to expand our advisory programming AND lengthen our normal class periods.
Additionally, there are two other "special" days in the district calendar that will impact our start and stop times:
- On Staff Meeting Days (held monthly), doors will open at 9:20 am and classes will start at 9:30.
- On Early Release Days (held monthly except in January and June), classes will end at 1:45 pm
It is important for parents to note that on these dates, all staff members will be in required meetings and unable to provide additional supervision. It is important to ensure that your student has a clear transportation plan either to or from school on these special days. The full list of these dates can be found on the 2024-25 PPS District Calendar (look for the Tuesdays with the ** for staff meeting days and the clock icon for early release days).
All of the MTMS Bell Schedules are up to date on our website and in the Parent-Student Handbook.
Those returning to district middle and high schools may remember the push last fall to have all students on campus wear their student photo ID during the school day. Unfortunately, given the disrupted school year, many of these identification efforts faced difficulty getting off the ground.
Principals received word today that this fall, the expectation for all students to wear their school-issued photo ID will resume in the fall. We will be issuing each student a new lanyard and badge holder. Students who still have their ID from last year will be encouraged to continue using it until new photos and cards are issued on September 19. For those new students or those who have lost or misplaced their prior-year ID, we will be making one to practice wearing. The expectation is that students wear these during the entirety of their school day on campus as a means to promote school pride and enhance situational safety.
We really thank our families for their support in helping our students understand the importance of keeping track of their ID and the role it plays in making sure the folks on our campus should be on our campus.
Just as a reminder: if you student is taking a bus that is not their regular bus or riding home with a friend, families need to provide a note for their student to give to the bus driver. Drivers will not accept riders without parent permission who are not on their regular routes.
Here's how you can help:
- Consider alternate forms of transportation to get your student to school. Whether you walk, bike, scooter, or skateboard, reducing vehicular traffic around the building helps. We have skateboard racks in the office to store boards and lots of bike racks--just make sure to invest is a solid U-lock.
- If you need to drive your child to school, use the Drop and Go Parking Lot loop off of Stark, or park/drop students along Ash, Pine, and Oak Streets between 55th and 57th Ave.
- Keep all traffic moving from South to North along 57th Ave. Cars traveling north on 57th during drop off time often delay traffic exiting the area, reduce visibility of pedestrians, and narrow the streets, making them impassable. While it might add a little bit of time to go around the block, keeping our kids safe is priority #1.
- Ash Street between 57th and 60th is the bus zone. Please avoid driving on this stretch of road during the 8:55-9:15 and 3:55-4:10 time frames. There is absolutely no parking allowed along Ash Street on the school side at ANY TIME.
- Be kind to our staff that are out directing traffic. They are the kind humans wearing high visibility vests and holding stop and slow signs. They may signal you to talk with you if you are going against the traffic flow.
- Please slow down! This is a school zone from 7:00am-5:00pm. Please make sure that you adjust your speed! PBOT has installed additional signage along 57th to alert drivers of the school zone requirements.
- Remind your students to use the official crosswalk at 57th and Ash to cross the street!
Please see the graphic below for more details on all of the routes to school!
Free Meals for All PPS Students
Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services is happy to announce all students will be able to enjoy breakfast and lunch at no charge for the 2024-25 school year. This opportunity is made possible in part by the expansion of federal eligibility and additional funds allocated by the state’s Student Success Act.
Breakfast includes an entrée, choice of fruit, and milk. Lunch includes a choice of entrée, milk, and unlimited fruits and vegetables. Students must choose at least three foods, with one food being at least a 1/2 cup of fruit and/or a vegetable.
Due to this change in services, our kitchen teams will no longer be able to take cash or check payments. If students bring their lunch from home and want milk, they must may choose two other foods – such as a fruit and vegetable – at no charge. Milk can no longer be purchased separately.
A few more clarifications:
Families do not need to submit a free and reduced-price meal application. All PPS students are automatically enrolled in this program.
If you have questions about your student’s meal account, please visit our webpage for more information or contact our department for further support.
This change has no impact on Title I funding.
Access to nutritious meals is a crucial component of student success and well-being, and we are thrilled to be able to take advantage of this opportunity on behalf of our students.
As you may know, there is a measles outbreak in Oregon with 26 confirmed cases reported in Marion, Clackamas, and Multnomah Counties as of 08/09/2024. We understand that parents have questions about what can be done to keep children safe, and what their child’s school will do if a case of measles is confirmed at their site. You can get more information about the PPS communicable disease management plan at this website. Currently, 93% of Mt. Tabor students are fully immunized against measles, and research shows that schools where less than 94% of students are up-to-date with measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccines are at higher risk for measles to spread if an individual with measles attends school.
Here are some important points to keep in mind:
Now is a great time for all families to review their vaccine records and make sure their vaccines are up to date.
Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease. If a case is confirmed in a school, local public health workers will review all staff and student vaccination records to determine the risk of further spread.
Keeping children in school is a priority. In the event of an exposure to a contagious illness like measles:
Local Public Health Authority (LPHA) staff will determine if the person exposed is susceptible to measles.
If they are determined to be susceptible, MTMS and PPS will work with the LPHA staff to determine if the person needs to be temporarily excluded from school for 21 days or longer to prevent further spread and to ensure their own safety (OAR 333-019-0010).
This exclusion period aligns with state and national health guidelines and is taken with the well-being of all students, staff and the school community in mind.
The exclusion period may be extended if there are more measles cases (and thus more exposures).
Students and staff excluded from school after measles exposure should stay home to avoid exposing others in the community.
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s health, please contact your doctor. If you are worried about paying to see your doctor, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) can help. OHP is open to all children and teens younger than 19, regardless of immigration status who meet income and other criteria. You can find help enrolling here.
Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school community healthy.
Join the Oya No Kai Board!
Serving on the board is a great way to give back to the JDLI community and to help ensure strong leadership for our programs and opportunities. We are especially looking for help in these areas:
- Human resources/personnel management
- Communications (especially social media and/or website management)
- Grant writing and/or development
Japanese-speaking, Japanese, and Japanese-American parents are especially encouraged to join the Board.
For more information, contact info@oyanokai.org
Mt. Tabor Middle School
Email: tlongo@pps.net
Website: https://www.pps.net/Domain/143
Location: 5800 Southeast Ash Street, Portland, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 916-5646
X: @Tonya_A_Longo