Week Six! We're getting in the mix!

October 4th, 2024

THERE IS NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY 10/11, DUE TO STATE INSERVICE DAY!

I hope this message finds you well. I am excited to share with you that we are at the initial phase of implementing restorative justice practices combined with collaborative problem-solving at our school. As part of our commitment to fostering a positive, supportive, and inclusive learning environment, these practices will help our students develop crucial life skills while resolving conflicts in a constructive and respectful way.

What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative justice focuses on repairing relationships and restoring a sense of community when conflicts arise. Rather than punishing students, this approach emphasizes understanding the impact of one’s actions and taking responsibility for them. It helps students to recognize the harm caused, encourages accountability, and promotes healing for everyone involved.

How Collaborative Problem-Solving Fits In
Restorative justice will be paired with collaborative problem-solving, a process where students actively engage with one another to work through challenges. This partnership encourages open dialogue, critical thinking, and empathy. By involving students in finding solutions to conflicts, we empower them to become proactive in their interactions and more mindful of the needs and perspectives of others.

Skills Developed Through This Process
As students participate in restorative justice and collaborative problem-solving, they will build essential thinking skills, including:

1. Empathy – Understanding the emotions and experiences of others is key to resolving conflict. Students will practice putting themselves in someone else’s shoes and learning how their actions affect those around them.

2. Active Listening – Being able to listen attentively and without interruption is an essential component of effective communication. Students will learn how to listen fully to others before responding, ensuring that every voice is heard.

3. Self-Regulation – Managing emotions in moments of conflict can be challenging. Through this process, students will develop the ability to pause, reflect, and choose thoughtful responses rather than reacting impulsively.

4. Accountability – Taking responsibility for one’s actions is at the heart of restorative justice. Students will be encouraged to acknowledge their behavior, reflect on its consequences, and take steps to repair any harm caused.

5. Problem-Solving – In collaborative problem-solving, students will engage in identifying the root cause of conflicts and work together to develop mutually acceptable solutions. This teaches them how to approach challenges with a constructive mindset.

6. Collaboration – Working with others to resolve disputes strengthens students' ability to cooperate, negotiate, and build consensus—skills that are valuable both in school and beyond.

Why This Matters
By adopting these practices, we aim to create a school culture where every student feels respected and valued, where conflicts are opportunities for growth, and where students develop the social-emotional skills they need to thrive academically and personally. These tools are not just for the classroom but for life, helping our students become more compassionate, responsible, and thoughtful members of the community.

We are excited to embark on this journey together, and I encourage you to engage with your children about these practices at home. Open conversations about conflict resolution, empathy, and responsibility can further reinforce the skills they are learning at school.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about restorative justice and collaborative problem-solving, please feel free to reach out. We look forward to working with you in creating a nurturing and respectful environment for all of our students.

Warm regards,

Principal Collins

Breakfast

Lunch

From the District:

WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHY:

Below are the reminders for the online verification process

• Online Yearly Verification via ParentVue deadline is earlier this year. The deadline was 9/30/2024 for parents to submit Yearly Verification's in order to view all information in their ParentVue
• Beginning on 10/1/2024, if parents have not submitted the online Yearly Verification, they will receive the following message upon login to ParentVue.
  
• The Yearly Verification process must be completed to continue
• This is a hard stop to log in to ParentVue. The only options for the parent are to click Begin Yearly Verification or click Logout

More Buttons!

Two new fields have been added to the Online Registration - New Students and Yearly Verification, Transportation page for parents:

Permission to Walk and Permission to Ride Bike. Please check these boxes if they apply!

This is also a good time to check the Technology Use acknowledgement button!

If you need help accessing ParentVue, please reach out to the office.

Did you take photos at Run Llewellyn? Make sure to upload them into the google folder that was created for pictures! There is a specific folder for Run Llewellyn .

As pictures are taken please upload any you think are worthy of the yearbook! Each teacher has their own folder as well as specials and events. You can also email them directly to kgrunde@pps.net. We want to ensure that all students are represented!

Hello Llewellyn Community,

I hope this school year is off to a great start! Your school counseling team is looking forward to a great year getting to know and supporting your children. We are fortunate to have two school counselors this year! Ms. Kate will be the case manager, main contact, and support person for 4th and 5th graders; and Ms. Brittany will be the case manager, main contact and support for K, 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders. Please take a moment to review our Welcome Back Letter.

As your student’s school counselors, we look forward to supporting all students in their academic achievements, personal and social development, and career interests. We will do this by visiting the classrooms throughout each month and providing SEL focused lessons to help students gain the skills necessary for their school success. We also will be offering small groups, lunch bunches, and short-term individual solution focused counseling (by request of the student, teacher and caregivers).

To begin this year, your counseling team will focus on the role of a school counselor, building relationships and self-regulation. Our first few lessons of the year are focused on these topics. As we continue throughout the year, we will provide updates, by grade level, on what your children are learning, small group options, and lunch bunch opportunities. Lastly, we wanted to provide some Tips for Success to help your children come to school, feel a sense of community and are ready to learn!

To begin the school year, we are asking for your help! Please complete The Family Support and Connections Survey.

We look forward to continuing to build relationships and get to know each child.

Ms. Brittany and Ms. Kate

· Brittany Sill-Turner (Kinder, 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders)

bsill@pps.net

· Kate Knochel (4th and 5th graders)

kknochel@pps.net

Thank you,

Brittany

Website news! The district is in the process of switching website providers, please be patient as the website changes daily. We essentially have no control over the website until the process is complete! Please reach out to the office if you have any questions that need clarification.

Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up quickly! If you are in need of any interpretive services during these meetings, please reach out to Kellie at kgrunde@pps.net ASAP. As this is a district wide time for conferences resources are limited. We would love to help ensure that all guardians are welcomed during this time.

If you have a last-minute change to your student's end of day plans, please call the office by 2:00PM. After that, it becomes much harder to get a note to teachers before the day ends. PLEASE CALL! We cannot guarantee that emails to the office or teachers will be seen after noon. Thank you for your help in making sure your student gets where they belong after school!

Please feel free to reach out to the office with questions. The office is open between 7:00AM and 3:00PM on school days.

We LOVE volunteers! If you plan to volunteer at Llewellyn at any time, a background check must be completed. This is done at the district level at no cost to you and is good for three years. Please keep in mind that it can take up to 2-3 weeks for the application to be processed, especially at the beginning of the year. Look here for more information, to apply, or to see if your current application is still valid.

The Llewellyn Bike Train is back and every Friday you can find them riding together up the greenway on 19th and crossing to Tolman making their way safely to school. Our parent volunteer, Adam Seidman, has taken on this event and we are so grateful for his enthusiasm and his support in keeping our students safe while biking these routes. For current route information, check Konstella for the Bike Train post or our social media pages.

We will have our monthly PTA meeting on October 15 at 7 p.m. in the school library. Some items on the agenda will be the Llewellyn Bike Train, Monster March, Harvest Festival final preparations, and 5th grade fundraising plans. There will be a 5th grade parent meeting immediately after to discuss fundraising efforts for the coming year to facilitate the 5th grade overnight.

Our Harvest Festival will be October 19 from 10 am to 2 pm with activities centering around our garden. Activities will include:

• painting of the fence and making repairs to our storage shed,
• harvesting seeds from the garden for planting in the spring
• seed paper making
• pumpkin painting
• fall crafts led by teens in Sellwood Community House’s leadership programs
• Mason Bee demonstration by Naturehood PDX
• Apple cider and treats
• Free pumpkins! (while supplies last)

Come on out and join our Llewellyn community in getting our garden ready for the coming months and making sure the space is safe and beautiful. Our Green Team committee works hard to keep everything watered and tended throughout the year and we are so grateful to have this space for our students to extend their learning outside of the classroom.

The Monster March is October 27 at 3pm and starts and ends at Llewellyn while going through downtown Westmoreland. There will be a sign up on Konstella soon with opportunities to help with flyer distribution throughout the neighborhood and various tasks leading up to and day of the March. Our fifth grade parents will host a bake sale to help with funding their 5th grade overnight. It’s always a fun time and we always enjoy seeing all of our Llewellyn families and community members in their costumes.

Save the Dates

10/9 International Walk/Bike to School Day

10/15: PTA Meeting @ Llewellyn Library 7pm

10/19 Harvest Festival

10/27: Monster March 3pm

10/31: Pumpkin Carving Contest

10/11 NO SCHOOL – State-wide Inservice Day

10/15 PTA Meeting - 7:00 in the Library

10/16 Dine Out Night @ Dairy Hill

10/19 Harvest Festival

10/23 EARLY RELEASE DAY – School ends at 11:50AM

10/27 Monster March

10/28 Dine Out Night @ Killer Burger

10/31 Pumpkin Carving Contest

11/1 NO SCHOOL – Grading Day

11/3 End of Daylight Savings Time

11/4 NO SCHOOL – Teacher Planning Day

11/5 Picture Re-Take Day

11/11 NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day

11/19 PTA Meeting - 7:00 in the Library

11/20 EARLY RELEASE DAY – School ends at 11:50AM

11/25-26 Parent-Teacher Conferences – NO SCHOOL

11/27-29 NO SCHOOL – Thanksgiving Break

12/5 Family Craft Night

12/18 EARLY RELEASE DAY – School ends at 11:50AM

12/21-1/5 NO SCHOOL – Winter Break