Irvington Weekly Newsletter

Congratulations to all of our readers for helping us to reach our Read-A-Thon goals! We reached over 69,000 minutes, which was enough for students to earn an extra recess, a popcorn party, AND a school dance (scheduled for February 28).

February also means we're welcoming back Alex Addy, Lewis and Clark's director for Ghanaian music and dance, to teach West African drumming to our students. Take a look at our kindergarteners below!

Thank you to those of you who attended today's Tea with Mr. G. We talked about attendance and the negative consequences--academic, emotional, social--of chronic absenteeism. If you child is sick, please keep them home (you can refer to the OHA guidelines here), but otherwise you can set your child up for success in many ways by sending them to school on time, every day. Please plan vacations during school closures and reach out to us if your child is experiencing anxiety around coming to school.

Just a reminder: please support us in reminding your child that we do not share food or drinks with classmates during lunch or snacktime. Because we do not know everyone's allergies and food sensitivities, it is safest for students only to eat the food they brought or got from the cafeteria. (For students in older grades, that means that it's preferable to leave big bags or chips or other snacks at home.)

Irvington's Connect to Kindergarten event is coming up Thursday, February 20, from 6-7pm. Promoting Irvington School and encouraging families to choose Irvington is an important way to keep our enrollment steady and our community thriving! If you know anyone with an incoming kindergartener, please encourage them to attend the event and tell them about our wonderful school!

Congratulations to the winners of the yearbook cover contest! The theme of "Soaring into the Future" led to over 40 wildly creative and futuristic artworks turned in. Fifth graders Jo and Hannah won first place, which will be displayed on the front cover. Grace (5th) won second place, which will be displayed on the back cover of the yearbook. Then we had our first three-way tie for third place! This recognition goes to Saide (5th), Antonella (4th, not pictured), and Oliver (3rd, not pictured). Thank you to all of the amazing artists who participated! Your work will be displayed in the halls.

Message from Nurse Cam: School districts are required to provide vision and hearing screenings, and Irvington’s screening day is scheduled for this coming Thursday, February 13.

Vision screening will occur with students in grades kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th. Hearing screenings will be completed with kindergarten and 1st grade students. You will be notified of the results within a few weeks of the screening. If you do not want your child included in a vision or hearing screening, please email Nurse Cam (clam@mesd.k12.or.us) with your student’s name and teacher.

Mark your calendars: The school auction is April 26 at Steeplejack Brewery! This year’s theme is Rainbow Connection: Together We Shine. Tickets go on sale soon, and it’s never too early to get involved. If you or someone you know has items to donate or would like to sponsor the auction, please reach out at auction@irvingtonschool.com

The school auction is the PTA's biggest fundraiser of the year! It helps pay for school supplies, literacy support, scholarships, community events and so much more. All adults are invited to attend and bring their friends. If you’ve been to the auction before, help us spread the word by sharing your experience with new families! Learn more at www.irvingtonschool.com/auction

Good news: Irvington made the cut for schools accepted into this year's Summer Acceleration Academy (PPS' summer school)! The focus will be on students in grades K-2, and it will be hosted at Harriet Tubman Middle School. (They have A/C!) Enrollment starts on March 10, and I will share more information in the weeks leading up to it. In the meantime, you can learn more about the program here.

Arts Night is a few months away, on May 8, but Ms. Reed and Ms. Daniels are already in the planning stages. If you'd be interested in volunteering your time and talents to make Irvington Arts Night fabulous, please fill out this survey. Teachers will reach out to you as the big night gets closer. Thank you so much!

Join the Green Team for the next meeting on Thursday, February 13, at 7:30pm at the Pocket Pub. The Irvington Green Team works to raise awareness about the environment and promote sustainable practices in our school. We encourage recycling, saving energy, and reducing waste. Our team leads projects to lower the school's carbon footprint and teaches others about the importance of protecting the environment.

Our next Restaurant Night is Tuesday, February 11, at Sparky’s Pizza! All hours and all locations count. Use their handy online ordering system to place your order. You can pre-order for a scheduled pick up time or in-house delivery; or call 503-282-3000 to order. 10% of ALL orders from ALL locations will be donated (third party delivery services don’t count). Thank you, Sparky’s!

The next movie night is on Friday, February 7, and we’ll be showing The Wild Robot. See all the details below:

• Where: School cafeteria

• When: Friday, February 7. Doors open and disco party at 6:15pm, movie begins at 6:30pm. Use the cafeteria doors behind the school for entry/exit.

• Who: Irvington students and their families. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult.

• Food and Drink: Free popcorn provided! Please bring your own water bottles filled with water only. Picnic dinners are okay, too. Thank you in advance for cleaning up after yourselves.

• Seating: Bring a blanket or camp chair to sit on. Cafeteria tables are also available.

• Disco: Enjoy some fun lights, music, and dancing before the show and during a short intermission.

Please follow your child's teacher's lead on what school looks like on February 14. And as we ask on all special days, due to various allergies, please do NOT send your child to school with candy that day.

Laura G. Lee, author of Soy Sauce, will be coming to Irvington on February 12. Students in grades K-2 will get a chance to spend time with Laura as she shares her book and demonstrates painting with soy sauce! If you'd like to pre-order a copy for your child, you can do so here.

Located at the Marshall High School campus, the PTA/PPS Clothing Center is a volunteer-run closet of donated clothing. Irvington students and all students enrolled in PPS who are in need of clothing can visit the closet once before winter break and once after winter break. It’s all free.

Twice per year, each participating school is responsible for staffing the clothing closet. Our second day is coming up: Thursday, February 13, from 9:30am-1:30pm. We need 4 more volunteers to help with setting out inventory and accompanying families while they shop. Click here to learn more and sign up. For questions, please contact Jessica Farley at ptavp@irvingtonschool.com.

Friday, February 7: Movie night, 6:15pm

Wednesday, February 12: Author visit (grades K-2)

Thursday, February 13: PPS/PTA clothing closet volunteer shift, 9:30am-1:30pm

Thursday, February 13: Green team meeting, 7:30pm at the Pocket Pub

Monday, February 17: No school (Presidents' Day)

Thursday, February 20; Connect to Kindergarten info session, 6-7pm

Sunday, February 23: Family gym "night," 10am-12pm

See it all at a glance here: https://www.irvingtonschool.com/