Alameda Friday Newsletter

August 23, 2024

Dear Families,

Greetings. I hope this final stretch of summer break has been going well. It has been great to work with the staff this week as we prepare for the first day of the 2024-2025 School Year. Our team is working hard to ready classrooms, organize supplies, and plan lessons for the upcoming weeks. A big thanks to our Head Custodian Preston and his crew (John, Andi, and Le) for getting our 100 plus year old building ready for the students’ arrival next week. Additional thanks to our PTA for yesterday’s final Connect to Kindergarten event. We are super excited to see our newest members of the Alameda Community next week.

Please take a moment to read through this week’s newsletter. There are some important first day/first week items that appeared last week that we are running again, as well as some new items.

First Day of School: The first day of school for all students in grades 1-5 is Tuesday, August 27th. Kindergarten specific schedules will be communicated by classroom teachers. If you have a child in kindergarten and have any questions about schedules, please reach out directly to your child's teacher.

Arrival and Building Safety: The school day begins at 8:00 AM (Please note the new and earlier start time). The first bell will be at 7:55 AM. Please make sure your child does not arrive early. There will be NO SUPERVISION on the playground prior to school day beginning. Like last year, students will come into the building through grade level specific entrances (SEE ATTACHMENT). Parents may enter the building with their child during the first couple weeks of school. We are hoping that as the year progresses students will be comfortable saying a goodbye outside. Reducing the number of adults (who have not checked in) in the building helps ensure a safer space for our students and staff. All doors will be closed and locked by 8:00 AM. If your child arrives and the exterior door is locked, they must enter through the front entrance and check in at the office.

End of the Day/Dismissal: The school day ends at 2:30 PM. Teachers will walk their students to an outside designated location for dismissal. The end of the day is a busy time. Please make sure your child is fully aware of their after school plan. If you have to make a change during the day, please contact your child’s teacher via email and call the office.

School Wide Policy on “Smart” Watches and Mobile Phones: Over the last couple of years we have noticed a considerable increase in smart watches being worn by students across all grades. While these devices range in capability, they are all disruptive to students' learning and add even more screen time to a day that is pretty filled with screens. This year, all students must either leave smartwatches and/or other devices at home, or store it in their backpack, in the off position, for the entire school day. If a student struggles with this policy, they will be given a few reminders to put away the device. If the device continues to be seen it will be sent to the office where it will need to be picked up by a parent/guardian.

Several grade levels at Alameda have implemented this type of policy already and it has been a success. We are now making this a school-wide policy. In addition, this is in line with new policies being implemented at both Beaumont Middle School and Grant High School. We thank you for your support.

Bike Bus: The Bike Bus is back. Although Coach Balto is away from Alameda this year, he is still excited to lead this effort! Join every Wednesday, rain or shine. For more information, including a map, meet up times and other important information VISIT HERE.

Transportation: Bus schedules and other information can be found on the PPS Transportation Service website. You can also reach out to School Secretary Beth Minch with any questions.

School Supplies: Your Alameda PTA is providing teacher-specified school supplies for each classroom. We suggest a contribution of $50 per Alameda student; the cost covers school supplies for your child and ensures that all students are provided the same supplies. Click here and make your school supplies contribution today.

Alameda PTA: The beginning of the school year is a great time to re-up your PTA membership! PTA contributions sustain a variety of programs and activities within our community. Click here and join (or re-join!) the Alameda PTA.

District Calendar: Here is a link to the 2024-2025 School Calendar.

Upcoming Events

Welcome Back Picnic Extravaganza; Tuesday, September 17th; 5:30 - 7:30 PM: The Alameda PTA is excited to host the 2nd Annual Welcome Back Picnic Extravaganza. More details will be announced but we hope to have food trucks, cake, and much more. We hope to see you all there!

Save the Date: Back to School Night is Thursday, September 26th. More information will be coming soon.

If you have any questions about next week please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher, our front office staff, Britt or me. We want to make sure that you have all the right information and that your child’s first day of school goes smoothly.

Have a fantastic weekend. We will see you on Tuesday or at some point next week.

Regards,

Matt Goldstein

PPS Early Release
Day Camps

PPS has Early Release Wednesdays each month
Trackers camps have you covered!

Portland Public Schools (PPS) has announced Early Release Wednesdays for the 2024-25 school year. These will occur almost every month. We understand this might disrupt your plans, but don’t worry—Trackers has got you covered. Our new PPS Early Release Day Camps are now open for registration.

To support working parents, we have made these camps as cost-effective as possible. Kids can spend their afternoons connecting with friends and learning awesome Trackers skills. They can craft in our pottery studio, build in our woodworking shop, hone their archery skills, create characters for epic role-playing games, or explore the great outdoors while connecting to nature.

Our PPS Early Release Day Camps are available at our SE and NE Portland site, with easy parent pick-up from 5 PM to 6 PM. Remember, students of our After School Program already get early release camp as part of their Wednesday membership. While you tackle your workday, your kids can have a blast learning new things—all in a safe and fun environment!