Duniway Dispatch

• December 16: Last Day to submit Successful Schools Survey
• December 18: Early Release - Dismissal at 11:50 a.m.
• December 20: School Spirit Day - Sports Team Day - wear gear from your favorite team or sport
• December 23-January 3: Schools closed for winter break
• January 6: First Day of School in the new year - 2025!
• January 20: Schools closed for holiday
• January 23: OBOB Mock Battle, 4-6 p.m.
• January 27-28: Schools closed for grading and planning days
• February 17: Schools closed for holiday

• February 22-23: OBOB Final Competition

2024-25 District Calendar

Dear Families,

Happy Friday and I hope you have all enjoyed a great week. I know we have all been experiencing the wet weather in Portland in the latter half of this week and we are hopeful that there might be a bit of sun this coming weekend. At school it has been clear that students are excited for the upcoming winter break and winter holidays, and there has been a feeling of joy and festivity in the air. We are looking forward to our monthly school assembly next Wednesday (on the early release day) and the theme for the assembly will be giving and caring. We will also be hearing from our amazing school choir. As a reminder, we will have our next school spirit day, Sports Team Day, next Friday, December 20. Students are encouraged to wear gear from their favorite sports team (personal, local, national) or from a favorite sport. I wish everyone a enjoyable and restful weekend!

In gratitude,

John Melvin

Students should be at school by the first bell at 7:55 a.m. This will provide them with the time they need to unpack their things, get settled, and be ready to learn in their classrooms before the tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. Students arriving late miss out on valuable learning time.

If your students arrives after the tardy bell at 8:00 a.m., they will need to enter through the main entrance and sign in with staff in the office.

Thank you Duniway families for your ongoing efforts in getting all of our students to school on time! 🕗

Portland Public Schools is asking all families to fill out the annual Successful Schools Survey. The Successful Schools Survey is an opportunity for students, staff, and families to provide important feedback on their school environments, learning experiences, and sense of well-being and safety at school. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Somali, Vietnamese and Chinese.

Hello Duniway Community,

The Duniway Foundation is happy to announce that we’ll be continuing our 28th Annual Giving Campaign. We will be working more closely with the Duniway PTA toward a shared vision of community engagement and school improvement. It runs November 21st through December 31st. There will be a lot of exciting incentives at all levels, including participation!

HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE?

Please consider donating as generously as you can. Many families make a gift equal to the value of one week’s tuition for summer camp. Others give the cost of eating one family dinner out. Last year, the average gift was around $250. There is a monthly payment option as well. Others simply fill out the annual campaign participation form to show their support and to help get their class participation to 100%. All gifts of any size are appreciated and 100% tax-deductible!

We have some great prizes and incentives to help us meet our goal, including:

• A popsicle party for the class in each grade with the highest participation

• Dr. Melvin dressing up in costume when we get halfway to our $50,000 goal

• A “students choice” movie night at Duniway if we reach the same participation or higher as last year’s campaign!

• A “Proud Supporter of our Duniway Dragons” yard sign for families donating $250 or more

Does your employer match donations for Giving Tuesday? Feel free to reach out and we can help if needed. Our Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) and your donation is 100% tax-deductible. All donations will stay at Duniway.

This year your donations will go directly to Duniway and its students in the form of supplemental art and science curriculum, literacy support, improving our facilities, and so much more that would otherwise go overlooked by the district for 2025-2026 school year.

Last year, your dollars hired two Educational Assistants, kept music programming full time at Duniway, and closed the funding gap to keep a part-time office assistant, helping parents and students across the school. While we can no longer fundraise for PPS positions – your dollars will continue to enrich our Duniway student experience and help our teachers.

Please consider supporting Duniway! Click HERE to read all about what the Duniway Foundation is about, and CLICK HERE TO DONATE.

We look forward to working together with our amazing and special Duniway community. Go Dragons!!

With gratitude,

Andrea Angell and The Giving Campaign Committee

president@duniwayfoundation.org

Cleveland High School

Join the Cleveland Tenacity Dance Team for a Half Day Junior Dance Clinic on Sunday, January 12th. Open to all students grades K-8, no dance experience necessary. All the details and information including registration can be found on our team page or the attached flyer/QR code. Registration is open through 12/31 (to insure a t-shirt). Makes a wonderful holiday gift, we will happily email you a gift certificate PDF for the holidays if you'd like.

Thank you for supporting The Cleveland Tenacity Dance Team!
https://www.clevelandwarriorathletics.com/tenacitydance

The fliers listed below are approved for distribution directly to students. No printed materials should be distributed to students unless they have been approved and added to this list. We are only approving materials from contract partners, other government agencies, or for programs sponsored by PPS or another government entity.

Camps, Classes, & After School Programs:

• USTA Tennis Afterschool Zone at Maplewood (Jan. 14 - Feb. 25)

• Portland Parks & Rec: Teen Force at SW Community Center

• VIBE of Portland: No-School Day Camps (Nov. 4, 11, & 25-27 & Dec. 23)

• VIBE of Portland: Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids

• OSU: Summer Reading Program (Jun. 14 - Aug. 16 2025)

• Portland Parks & Rec: Environmental Education Nature Field Trips (flyer for teachers)

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:

• Oregon Health Plan & Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace

• 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):

• Cleveland HS

• Franklin HS

• Jefferson HS

• McDaniel HS

• Roosevelt HS

If you have any questions, please reference the Promoting Events and Activities in PPS Schools webpage, the 2020-21 Update on Flier Distribution for Non-Governmental Organizations, or contact Ryan Vandehey at rvandehey@pps.net.