Abernethy News

The weather is changing, students are learning, fun is being had and noses are starting to run....

Yes, we have hit that point when all are back in the building and students, as well as teachers, are starting to get whatever is going around. It is not a surprise, something that we didn't expect and definitely not anything that is out of the ordinary. However, here we are. As an Abernethy community, we want nothing more than for all our staff and students to be in school, however, there are some health room guidelines that we have to follow.

We value the attendance of all our staff and students. However, by sending your student to school when sick, or not 100% free of the following symptoms, we are only encouraging the spread of whatever it is that is going around. Please know that unless you are showing the following symptoms, we want all our students in school!

Thank you so much to the Abernethy Foundation and our Abernethy Community! This year we were able to use Foundation funds to bring in an absolutely fantastic new Educational Assistant, Jessica Jensen. Please join me in welcoming Jessica to our Abernethy Community!

Here are a few words from Jessica introducing herself:

"​​I am so excited to be joining the amazing Abernethy staff. I have a variety of experience in the field of education, including 10 years of teaching 1st grade. My family lives in the Mt. Tabor area and has recently returned from living abroad for several years. Our two daughters (ages 10 and 13) keep us busy with their many theater/dance performances and we have two kitties that love to snuggle. I look forward to becoming part of the community here at Abernethy"

Jessica will be supporting our 3rd through 5th grade classrooms. She will be collaborating with our instructional coach, Julie Miller, and providing elements of interventions and enrichments to our 3rd through 5th grade classrooms in both reading and math. Jessica comes to us with past experience as a first grade teacher and we absolutely could not be happier to have her and her family join our Abernethy staff and community!

As you may have followed from last year, Portland Public School Board voted to end foundational fundraising for staffing positions within individual Portland Public Schools. They are moving towards a model that supports a whole district foundation that will fund select staffing positions. The official plan moving forward without individual school foundations and what this whole district foundation means to Abernethy has not been developed, outlined, shared or communicated as of yet. Without knowing the next steps, and our staffing for next year, I am very grateful that we, as a community, were able to provide some support to our 3rd - 5th grade classes for this year! Thank you Abernethy for all your support and I will continue to share any and all information that comes regarding the district's next steps.

Please let your student know that they need to come to their picture time with brushed hair and all last minute prep if needed/wanted already done.

Volunteers (adults and kids) needed. We’re repainting the blacktop around Abernethy and need your help! The grounds committee is organizing a morning of painting and grounds clean up around the school. Please come help repaint the foursquare lines, school sign, USA map, and more. We’ll supply the paint and tools if you bring the fun!

Once a month PPS will have an Early Release day for staff prifessional development. Our first Early Release day will be Wednesday, September 25th. Students will be released at 11:50am.

Some things to note:

• School will have the same start time
• First Bell - 7:52am
• Late Bell 8:00am
• All students will have a 20 - 25 minute lunch period
• School lunch will still be served
• All students need to have lunch period as well as at least 15 minutes from finishing lunch to being dismissed to go home
• Lunches will be:
• Kinder and 1st Grade - 10:10 - 10:35
• 2nd and 3rd - 10:40 - 11:05
• 4th and 5th - 11:10 - 11:35
• Buses will leave Abernethy at 11:56 and begin their rout as usual.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our Back to School Curriculum Night!

The schedule will be as follows:

• 5:00pm - Abernethy TAG presentation - In the Auditorium
• 5:30pm - Welcome - (In the cafeteria)
• Teacher Introduction
• Presentation by Mrs. Dunn
• PTA Introduction & year Overview
• 1st Session - 6:00pm
• Bell - 6:25pm
• 2nd Session - 6:30pm
• 7:00 - End Time

Childcare is not provided, however, if childcare is a concern, you are absolutely welcome to bring your student and they are welcome to stay with you.

Details: Show your Abernethy Elementary community spirit with your very own yard/window sign!

Pay $10 which covers the cost of your yard sign and use this opportunity to donate a bit extra to support the PTA and kick off the year strong! Follow this link to purchase your sign online: Purchase Sign

You can pick up your sign after school all next week at the covered gazebo or email liz.dome@supportabernethy.org to arrange a time to pick up your sign. We will also be selling them then as well. (Please note that in person sales will accept cash and checks only.)

The first PTA general community meeting of the school year in the Abernethy Auditorium is happening on September 19 at 6:30! All families are invited to attend and free childcare is available in the cafeteria for in-person attendees.

To make participation in PTA Meetings as accessible and inclusive as possible, all PTA Community Meetings are HYBRID. All PTA members will be able to vote, ask questions, and participate in discussions whether they are in person or attending via Zoom. In person attendance is still preferred if you are able, but if virtual attendance works best for you and your family then please join us however you can! The link to join the meeting is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89264936549?pwd=N1NHRnVocXM4V1g4N0kzMWRvMWt6Zz09

If you would like to learn more fundraising, spending goals for this school year, PTA Standing Rules, and opportunities to volunteer with the PTA, please join us at the meeting!

Note: only PTA members may vote on motions. Community members must sign up for PTA membership at least 48 hours prior to the meeting date. Attendance is recorded at each meeting. Members must be present, in person or remotely via Zoom, to vote. In order to vote at this Community Meeting, you must be a PTA member no later than 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.

Join the PTA here: https://www.oregonpta.org/membership/joinnow/16880

Becoming a PTA member is a great way to get involved with the school community and find out firsthand from the PTA board, committee members, and the school administration what is happening in our school and district. If you join the PTA you will have the opportunity to vote on measures regarding the PTA budget and important decisions at Abernethy.

September 19 and 20

8 am to noon each day

We still need one more volunteer to help the kids line up for their school pictures! This will also include helping kids look their best! Your contact for the day will be Ms. Elise Darling in the front office. You'll take direction from the photographer to make sure the kids pose correctly and look their best.

Sign up here: https://www.konstella.com/app/school/62226dc1091a1ea101b6924d/signups/66e48d981b5c7202e202420e

Donate: Use your corporate match if you have one! https://www.konstella.com/app/school/62226dc1091a1ea101b6924d/donations/6222b33c091a714102b5f221

Bottle Drop

One of the easiest ways to support Abernethy's Physical Education program (and the environment) is by recycling redeemable cans and bottles through the BottleDrop program. Pick up a Bottle Drop bag in the school office, and learn more here: https://www.supportabernethy.org/fundraising/bottledrop

Help with Fundraising Events: We have several fundraisers throughout the year.

Our first fundraiser is Tour de Ladd on October 9.

• September 19th & 20th - School Pictures
• September 19th - PTA Meeting - 6:30pm
• September 25th - Early Release - Students released at 11:50am
• September 26th - Back To School Night - 5:30 - 7:00pm

September marks National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated from September 15 to October 15. It honors all Latino and Hispanic Americans and their contributions to American culture. The anniversaries of many Latin American countries are held on or around September 15 hence why the start of the month starts mid-month. Take time to acknowledge how these communities impact society and foster understanding of their unique heritages.

It also is National Recovery Month which hopes to educate all Americans on the treatment services for those struggling with substance use disorders.

September 4 – Richard Wright’s Birthday

The popular Black American writer wrote some of the most powerful 20th-century novels which exposed the realities of racism in the Deep South where he was born in 1908.

September 11 – Patriot Day

On the morning of September 11, 2001, the worst terrorist attack in American history occurred when four commercial airliners were hijacked by al-Qaeda members. Two crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and another into a field in Pennsylvania.

September 20 – HeForShe

This solidarity movement was first created by the UN to help promote gender equality worldwide.

September 21 – International Day of Peace

This UN day encourages all nations to observe a ceasefire. Each year the UN bell is rung in New York City to inaugurate this nonviolence day.

IInternational Day of Sign Languages – September 23

The International Day of Sign Languages celebrates sign languages as a vital part of linguistic and cultural diversity. This day highlights the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf. It promotes the preservation of sign language and advocates for the rights of deaf people worldwide to have access to education and information in their native sign languages.

Celebrate Bisexuality Day – September 23

Bisexuality Visibility Day is committed to celebrating the bisexual community and its history and achievements. Raise awareness about bisexuality and speak up about misconceptions about the community in the workplace and beyond.

Definition: We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

K-2 Definition: We are curious. We ask questions. We love to learn.

Questions you can ask your students:

• What does it mean to be an inquirer?

• Do you have any good inquiry skills you can use?

• How do you know when you were being an inquirer?

• How does being an inquirer help you throughout school?