Week 15!
Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Responsible, Build Community
December 13, 2024
Dear Llewellyn Community,
What an absolute joy it has been to work alongside our students, educators, and each of you in this incredible community! Last Thursday's Family Craft Night was a resounding success, with over 160 people joining us. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, crafted, and came together to make the evening so special. It was a powerful reminder that when we unite, we create something truly beautiful—whether it’s an event, a craft, or simply sharing meaningful moments as a community.
As we look toward the future, I’m excited to share an important update about our playground. Earlier this year, conversations began about replacing our aging playground equipment. What started as a straightforward replacement effort has evolved into a much larger vision: creating an inclusive, accessible, and climate-resilient natural space for learning and play.
To bring this vision to life, we’ve partnered with Juncus Studios, a local landscape architecture and design firm. Juncus has a longstanding relationship with PPS through their RISE (Resilient, Inclusive, Sustainable, and Equitable) Schoolyard Program. With generous support from the PTA, we’ve embarked on this transformative journey. So far, we’ve conducted schoolwide and community surveys and hosted a community visioning event during last week’s Craft Night. The next step involves Juncus Studios and PPS conducting an on-site needs analysis in early January.
This work also requires significant funding, and we’re starting with a big goal: submitting a pre-application for Metro’s “Nature in Neighborhoods” capital grant program in January 2025. Partnerships with community organizations will strengthen our grant application.
Here’s where you come in: If you have connections to organizations like SMILE, Friends of Oaks Bottom, Tribal Communities, Depave, or Johnson Creek Watershed Council—or other groups that might support a climate-resilient, inclusive green space and play area—please contact me or our lead parent volunteer, Meredith Goddard, at meredith.goddard@gmail.com.
We will continue to share opportunities to get involved and support this exciting project as it progresses. Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to our school and community.
Warm regards,
Diana Collins
Principal of Llewellyn
Reminder!
There is early release on Wednesday 12/18. School ends at 11:50am.
There will be YMCA aftercare until 5:30pm. There will NOT be any afterschool classes.
The Red Bus (Route 145) will ONLY be traveling to Trackers (which WILL be happening after school) and for a very PREARRANGED limited amount of SCH students. The Blue Bus (Route 288, aka the neighborhood bus) will also be running, but on an earlier schedule (all stops approx. 2 hours and 40 minutes earlier).
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Breakfast and Lunch Menu Next Week
Breakfast
Lunch
UPDATE on Blue Bag Fundraising!
Remind Updates
Are you not recieving messages or updates from Llewellyn? Are you getting them on multiple platforms like text, email, and Remind app? Only want one or two or maybe all 3? Please see the attached guidance on how to update your communication preferences in Remind.
How to change notification preferences in Remind : PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS | Support Portal
Come Work at Llewellyn!
Come work with our amazing nutrition chef, Ms. Olivia. We have a rare opportunity to have a nutritional assistant for 2.5 hours a day! The hours would be 10:30-1:00 and only during school days with the kids! Nutrition Services loves to fill these positions with members of the community. If you are interested, please see the directions and link below.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Select the link to access our careers site.
2. Sign In to access your account or if you are not an existing user select the New User link to create one.
3. Review the job description and select the Apply button to begin your application.
https://careers.pps.net/psp/career/SELFSRV/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=28296&PostingSeq=1
Please Keep the Bus Zone Clear!
We have seen an increase in the number of cars in the School Bus Zone in front of the school. The PPS Transportation department has asked us to remind our families that this marked bus zone must be kept clear from 7:00AM - 3:00PM every day school is in session. No stopping, parking, or dropping off is allowed in this zone!
Thank you for your help in keeping out students and drivers safe.
Cleveland Tenacity Junior Dance Clinic
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
From the Llewellyn School Counselors
Community Cares Reminder
Dear Llewellyn Community,
With Thanksgiving Break behind us and Winter Break rapidly approaching, we wanted to reach out to families regarding Llewellyn’s Community Care Program. Llewellyn’s Community Care program helps to provide support to families who are needing assistance with food, clothing, and holiday gifts. We are partnering with our PTA and local community agencies to be able to provide these items. Please know that all support is confidential and your family will work directly with your school counselor. This year we are able to provide the following:
Winter Break Food Bag
Winter Holiday Gifts – (1 need and 1 want)
Spring Break Food Bag
Clothing Closet Support - The clothing closet is open for counselors to request clothing for families that will be sent to the school. Please let your counselor know if you would like support with clothes.
Resources near Sellwood
If you are interested in receiving any of the above listed support, please contact your schools counselor:
Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades - Ms. Brittany; bsill@pps.net
4th and 5th grades - Ms. Kate kknochel@pps.net
As always, please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns as well.
Focus of the Month
Kelso’s Choice:
All students grades K-5 have received lessons in Kelso’s Wheel. Ms. Brittany delivered several lessons with the K-3 classes and Ms. Kate delivered one big kids Kelso review. Some questions to ask: What are some small problems you can solve on your own? What are some of the choices on the wheel? Can you tell me about a time that you have used them? Kelso’s choices can also be used to help students solve conflicts with siblings at home. A great tool for school breaks!
As always, please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or concerns as well.
Best,
Your Llewellyn Counseling Team
Winter TAG Referrals
The Family and Teacher TAG referral window is now open and will remain open until January 10th, 2025. The goal of this second referral round is to identify students who may not have been referred during the Fall data-driven referral window. This includes but is not limited to, those students in K-2 who do not participate in MAP and OSAS testing, as well as those in 3-5 for whom computer-based assessments present a roadblock in demonstrating their academic level and need. Families of 2nd grade students who have scored at or above the 95th percentile on the screening assessment for intellectual giftedness (called NNAT) will be notified in January 2025 that their student will be evaluated for TAG identification based on that assessment.
The referral process this year has changed from previous years. Families interested in referring their student for TAG should contact their classroom teacher during this window to discuss their student’s needs. Teachers submitting a referral will complete a reflection about their experience with the student in the classroom and consider several things, including:
How quickly does this student master new concepts and skills?
Is the student providing insights and thinking about topics in a way that is different from most students?
In what ways (if any) does the teacher already need to differentiate for this student to support their success?
Once this reflection is completed, additional work samples and assessment data will be collected before the Llewellyn TAG team meets to make a final decision. Once a decision is reached, parents will be informed via email, prior to April 24, 2025.
The TAG website has more information on evaluation and identification, TAG services, and opportunities for parents to provide input and feedback through the TAG Advisory Council (TAGAC).
From the Office
Parents - When you email us with attendance, or call the attendance line (503-916-6256), please use the proper first and last names of your students. We are unable to look up students in the Attendance module using preferred names and trying to figure out who the student actually is can be time consuming. Thank you for your help!
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.
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.
YMCA Care Over the Winter Break
Volunteering at Llewellyn
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.
PTA Happenings
Thank you to everyone who gave food items and gift cards for our winter break food drive! We will be sending them home next week filled with food and lots of love from our community. The Community Cares Committee is very grateful and excited to provide for these families. Look out for more community projects in the new year!
If you missed getting some gear in September, then check out our website! They make for great gifts and who wouldn’t want a pair of socks or water bottle stickers to show off to their friends?? We have some inventory left from our sale and we now have a Llewellyn PTA Venmo: @LlewellynPTA. Gear pickup will be after school on Wednesdays through our gear committee chair, Lindsay Lopez. You can contact her at lindsaylopez@comcast.net or 503.380.3869.
Don't forget about our dine out night this Saturday at PDX Sliders!
PPS December Talking Circle
The December Talking Circle newsletter is here, and it’s packed with opportunities to come together as a community this month.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your grade-level counselor.
Important Dates
12/18 EARLY RELEASE DAY – School ends at 11:50AM
Last Day for the Bottle Drop Fundraiser
12/21-1/5 NO SCHOOL – Winter Break
1/20 NO SCHOOL - MLK Jr. Day
1/21 PTA Meeting - 7:00 in the Library
Readathon Begins
1/24 End of Second Quarter
1/27 NO SCHOOL – Grading Day
1/28 NO SCHOOL – Teacher Planning Day
1/30 Reading Night
2/4 Readathon Ends
2/7 Small-Tall Ball
2/17 NO SCHOOL – President’s Day (possible snow make-up day)
2/18 PTA Meeting - 7:00 in the Library
2/26 EARLY RELEASE DAY – School ends at 11:50AM
3/3 NO SCHOOL – Teacher Planning Day
3/18 PTA Meeting - 7:00 in the Library
3/19 EARLY RELEASE DAY – School ends at 11:50AM
3/22-30 NO SCHOOL – Spring Break