9/25/24
9/25/24
Community ~ Equity ~ Growth
Important Dates Ahead
- 09/25 - Early Release Wednesday, School is dismissed at 1:45pm - buses run 2.25 hours early at dismissal
- 09/30 - SUN Classes Begin
- 10/6-11 - 6th Graders at Outdoor School
- 10/11 - NO SCHOOL
- 10/15 - Late Start Tuesday, School begins at 9:30am
- 10/18 - Run For Gray
- 10/24 - Picture Retake Morning
- 10/23 - Early Release Wednesday, School is dismissed at 1:45pm - buses run 2.25 hours early at dismissal
- Click here for the full RGMS calendar
From Principal Lisa Newlyn
Hey Hey Robert Gray,
What a lovely Back to School Night last week. Thanks for coming! I always enjoy seeing families, making connections between sibs and welcoming back familiar faces. PTA - you ROCK! Thanks for giving us an opportunity to connect with food and camaraderie. Our community is stronger because of our bonds with each other - and that's the foundation of our work with students.
This coming Wednesday is our first early release day. Don't forget that the school day starts on time, and ends at 1:45pm. Bus route timing has been adjusted accordingly; your kiddo will get off the bus at the same stop with the earlier drop off time - 2 hours, 15 mins earlier.
During our Early Release PD the staff and I will be examining our school climate data with a focus on how we report behavioral issues and our process for communicating with families as we support students together. If you're curious about our internal processes for reporting student behavior and supporting learning outcomes for students, here are two guiding documents for you:
PPS Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook
Enjoy these first days of Fall - it's a time for gathering and connecting.
In Community,
Lisa Newlyn ~ Principal
RGMS New & Timely
Ida B Wells Home Game Friday Night!
Come cheer on Wells Varsity Football as they play against Roosevelt Friday night!
Middle School Students need to attend with a chaperone. This helps keep behaviors appropriate so all of us can enjoy a great game.
Go Guardians!
Save the Dates for Parent Teacher Conferences
November 25 and 26 are Parent Teacher Conferences at RGMS. We will have a schedule out soon for signs up. Some conferences slots will be virtual. Others will be in person. Stay tuned as we plan for our time with you and your student to talk about how the year has started at RGMS.
ParentVue Yearly Verification
Online Yearly Verification via ParentVUE deadline is 9/30/2024. Parents must submit the Yearly Verification in order to view all information in their ParentVUE. The Yearly Verification takes the place of the old Student Registration form. This is where parents can update their information.
Beginning on 10/1/2024, if parents have not submitted the online Yearly Verification, they will receive the following message upon login to PVUE:
o The Yearly Verification process must be completed to continue. The only options for the parent are to click Begin Yearly Verification or click Logout.
Student Council Elections
RGMS Student Council Elections are coming soon! Students who would like to run for a position need to complete their Intent to Run form by Sept 30th. The Student Council serves as representatives for their classmates and works to make our school the best it can be for all students. See more information here and email Mr. Mead with any questions.
Quick Links
RGMS Weekly Announcements are LIVE!
RGMS Reminders and Weekly Announcements
From the Office
If your student will be absent, please email grayattend@pps.net. Be sure to include your student's full name, date of absence and the reason for the absence.
From our SUN Team
Test Scores
Dear families,
Historically, PPS has mailed standardized test scores to parents at the start of the school year. Beginning this year, score reports will no longer be mailed home. Instead, PPS has activated some test scores in ParentVue.
Currently, Oregon Statewide Assessment System (OSAS) test results and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) results are available to view. Results are also available for students taking the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT).
A few important things to know:
You can access your student’s test by logging into your ParentVue account and clicking on the “Test History” tile. This will take you to the test score screen.
There is also a tile called “Student Assessment Descriptions” that will take you to a web page providing a description of the assessment and context for the results.
Not all assessment results details can be shared in ParentVue.
If you do not yet have a ParentVue account set up – or if you have additional questions about testing and your student’s results – please contact your school.
Sincerely,
The PPS Research, Assessment & Accountability Team
From the School Nurse
Use this link to the School Nurse and Health Room Services Webpage for lot's of good information for parents.
Temporary Health Accommodations during the school day:
Please notify Robert Gray and school nurse, Jennifer Novack, if your student needs an accommodation during the school day due to a temporary health condition . Medical documentation from your student's health care provider is required. Examples of temporary medical conditions include: broken bones, recovery from surgery, and extended illnesses such as mononucleosis.
If your students needs medications, including over the counter medicines like Tylenol, you must bring those to school in their original containers and complete a short form so we can supervise it's use.
Questions? email: jnovack@mesd.k12.or.us
ParentVue Trick
The ParentVue trick to not getting your account disabled is to only try passwords twice, then just click on forgot password.
After 3 unsuccessful password tries your account is disabled. When disabled you have to call the school and have the office enable your account. Then to complete the reset, you have to click on forgot password and update your password.
RGMS Counselors' Contact Information
Gray's counselors are Lisa Hyde, A-K & Laureen Held, L-Z.
Lisa Hyde - lhyde@pps.net
503-454-6829
Laureen Held - lheld@pps.net
971-231-4621
You can also contact them through this link: https://bit.ly/2024-25RGMSCounselorHelp
Donations through SchoolPay
What is School Pay?
Throughout the year we will use School Pay as a way for families to pay for a variety of things. Currently, we are asking families to consider making small donations to offset printing costs for student planners, handbooks, class supplies and other curricular tools.
School Pay is a convenient way to pay school donations with a debit card or credit card. Use this link, https://pps.schoolpay.com/, to enter the School Pay site. Set up an account if you don't already have one.
Donation items are grouped by grade level.
RGMS PTA NEWS
Mark your calendars for our annual Run For Gray which is currently scheduled for Friday, October 18th. This is a really fun event and we are looking for parent volunteers. Please sign up here if interested.
Our next PTA meeting is on October 16th at 6:30pm in the library at RGMS. However, we would love to see more of our Robert Gray Middle School Community participate in our PTA meetings and membership. As such, we want to better understand what TOPICS or updates you are interested in discussing/hearing about during PTA meetings, and WHEN would best suit your schedule. Please fill out this 2 question google form so we can capture our community preferences.
We know the legislature in Salem will discuss cellphones in schools next year, so the Oregon PTA is interested in better understanding how families feel about cell phone use in schools. Please take a couple minutes to complete this survey to share your thoughts on the topic: https://bit.ly/PhonesInClassOR
We are always looking for parents interested in advocating for better funding for public schools to interface with PAT, Oregon PTA and Parents for public schools. Please reach out directly to Kirsten Carr if interested.
Please consider becoming a member of Robert Gray Middle School PTA and/or donating to our PTA. Your donation funds improvements to the school beyond what PPS provides, such as events (like Back to School Night and the upcoming Run for Grey), special programs, community outreach, classroom supplies, student-serving needs and more. This school year, the PTA’s budgeted expenses are over $46,000- approximately $95 per student. If you’re able, please donate to support the PTA here.
- To join please visit this page on the Oregon PTA website, select Robert Gray MS PTA, complete the form, and make a payment online. If you’re unable to join the PTA online, please contact the PTA secretary.
Get RGMS Text Alerts!
Get text alerts about school closures, delays, emergencies and school events:
Text YES to 68453
Fliers Approved for Distribution by PPS
Camps, Classes, & After School Programs:
Maplewood Tennis After School Zone (Oct. 8 - Nov. 19)
Portland Parks & Recreation Environmental Education Nature Field Trips (flyer for teachers)
VIBE of Portland Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids
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:
Multnomah County Common Application
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):
About Us
Email: lnewlyn@pps.net
Website: https://www.pps.net/gray
Location: 5505 Southwest 23rd Avenue, Portland, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 916-5676
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertgraymiddleschool
Attendance Reporting: grayattend@pps.net