Bulldog Bulletin 09.18.24
From Our Principal
September 15th to October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month! 💚
The beautiful thing about diversity is that if you lean into learning about cultures and races outside of your own, you will always find the similarities that can bring us together.
I am a proud Japanese-American granddaughter of a Japanese immigrant who was born in Lima, Peru. My grandfather moved from Peru to Japan then eventually to Los Angeles, but over the years he always carried parts of his Peruvian background with him. I had the privilege of reconnecting with my family in Lima where some of my high school Spanish came in handy, but it was such an incredible experience to see how the Japanese community in Lima has brought Japanese foods and culture into Peru.
Museum of Japanese immigration to Peru
Principal Eto's family in Lima, Peru
Callao, where many Japanese immigrants arrived to Peru
Reminder: Students dismissed at 11:50 for Early Release Wednesday 9/25 ⏰
Thank you to all of the families who have signed up to donate a snack or beverage for our 3-hour staff meeting on Early Release Wednesdays. There are a few spots left for 9/25 if you are interested in providing a snack/drink. Our teachers will appreciate having something to look forward to on those long meeting days. 💙
Help needed: Looking for 2 host families for interns at Richmond before 9/20! 🎌
We are still looking for new homes for two of our interns:
Koki Tamura sensei (currently assigned to 2nd grade Japanese classes)
Kazuki Kawahara sensei (currently assigned to 4th grade classes)
These interns have been supporting teachers, students, the school, and the program since April. Please consider hosting one of them to support until the end of their internship here.
If you would like to know more about any of the interns, please let Haruka Takanuma, Intern Coordinator, know by email at haruka.takanuma@oyanokai.org.
Lockdown Drill - 9/23 🚨
Richmond’s first Lockdown Drill is scheduled for Monday, September 23rd at 10:00 AM.
Our kindergarten, 1st & 2nd grade classes receive a special storytime with our school counselor, Ms. Matty, to learn about what a lockdown drill is and what to expect during a lockdown drill. PPS uses Sammy & Friends as a trauma-informed way to teach our youngest students about lockdown drills, which are required in all Portland public schools.
Click here to view the Sammy & Friends handout for families.
All classes will receive this mini lesson on the day of the lockdown drill to provide reminders about what is happening and how to participate calmly and safely. I will also make an intercom announcement prior to initiating the drill to reassure students that everyone is safe and it is only a drill.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at setotharp@pps.net or send me a message via Remind.
COVID-19 Testing Available At School 😷
Richmond’s Health Room will have COVID-19 tests available for families who choose to have their child tested if/when they develop signs of COVID and/or are exposed to COVID during school hours. Students will not be tested without parental consent.
This attached consent form can be completed in the Health Room when you arrive to pick up your sick child from school, or you can proactively fill it out at home and email it to our School Health Assistant, Toby Barrow, at tbarrow@mesd.k12.or.us.
Update: Student Assessment Info On ParentVue 📝
PPS is going to be providing parents with access to their child’s standardized test scores on ParentVue. Click here for the full memo from PPS.
MAP testing is taking place from 9/3 to 9/30, so the testing window has not closed yet. OSAS (state testing) doesn’t happen until the spring.
I understand as a parent the desire to know how our students are doing academically, but I also wanted to thank you in advance for your patience as our teachers work on finishing these assessments within the timeframes scheduled by the district, and for your understanding as we wait to hear more from the district on when those scores will become visible on ParentVue.
Click here to learn more about assessments given to students in PPS.
Optional TAG Info Session For Families - 9/26 🌟
Click here for the TAG Info Session slides for families that will be presented by Richmond’s TAG Facilitator (and 2nd grade teacher) Katia Fleischman on September 26th at 5:00-5:30 PM.
Important dates for 2024-25 are now posted on the Richmond TAG page. You can find more information on the PPS TAG page. Please email Richmond's TAG facilitator, Katia Fleischman, if you have any questions.
From Our School
2023-24 Yearbook Update
Hello Richmond families! If you ordered yearbooks last year, they should be printing by the end of September then mailed to you within 2-4 weeks after! The new season will be starting soon!Thanks,
Sparrow Sensei
HELPFUL LINKS
School Webpage HERE
District Student Handbook
School Supplies Online Payment
Google Dismissal and Dismissal Changes Form
Want to Volunteer?
Fliers approved for distribution
Richmond Calendar
From PTA
PTA 1st General Meeting!
Please join the Richmond PTA for our first general meeting of the year! We will meet via Zoom where you can hear more about what the Richmond PTA does and how you can contribute and become involved. We will also provide updates on our activities thus far this year and insight into what’s to come. Find out what fun activities the PTA has in store for the Fall.
**All are welcome; you do not need to be a PTA member to attend!**
When: Thursday, September 19th at 7:00pm
Where: Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86812179759?pwd=WN2zP65HNyhlyBDLsLgOjPB2qkoaEO.1)
Meeting ID: 868 1217 9759 Passcode: 532476
Updating Your Children on Konstella
Parents, you must update your children’s classrooms on Konstella every year. It is not automatic! Once you’re signed in to Konstella:
Click the upper left “options gear”
Click ’Your Children’ in the menu
Type in your child’s info and choose your child’s homeroom by selecting from the list in the ’Classroom’
Click ’Save’
PPS Clothing Center Needs Volunteers!
Portland's PTAs created a program to provide students with clothing in 1964. Located at the Marshall Campus of Benson High School, students receive brand new socks, underwear, jeans, a shirt and a jacket, and can then select from the gently-used clothing inside the shop. This is an excellent program that serves around 2,000 students per year.
Each PTA is responsible for a shift every year, and ours is on September 30th from 9:30 to 1:30. Please sign up with this LINK on Konstella or contact richmondptapresident@gmail.com if you can help.
We need 5-6 volunteers who can be parents, grandparents, or community members. They are also looking for donations of teen-adult sized gently worn or new sweatshirts, hoodies, and warm coats. Also boys pants sizes 4-14.
Rich Coffee
Tuesday Mornings 8:00 to 8:30 in the cafeteria
Come together with your fellow Richmond community members for coffee, tea, or cacao at our PTA-run coffee stand. Rich Coffee is cashless. We accept credit cards, Apple Pay, etc. **Join the Coffee Crew** We need more hands to keep this 15+ year tradition going. Stop by or email richcoffeepta@gmail.com.
Breakfast in the Garden
The monthly breakfast in the garden events are back! Snack on some light bites while helping to keep the grounds cleaned up and make headway on various projects throughout the year.
Join us this Saturday September 21st from 9-noon to help expand the rain garden. Please bring gardening gloves and a shovel. All ages are always welcome and encouraged to join.
Konstella
Keep up to date on all things PTA by joining Konstella, Richmond PTA’s communications tool. By joining, you will receive regular updates and info, gain access to our events calendar, take advantage of easy volunteer sign-ups and more. Click on this LINK (must be done on a web browser, not on the app), click “find your school”, and follow the instructions. There is a tutorial at this LINK.
Classroom Support Co-Chair
This is a position that would be working alongside somebody who is already experienced in the position! The person in this role helps organize classroom representative volunteers to provide support to teachers. They will basically manage the classroom reps to get projects completed in a timely fashion, including a teacher potluck, card writing, and grade-level art contribution to Oya No Kai. Please email stoner.jennifer@gmail.com to express interest!
Website Maintenance
We are also looking for somebody who has experience managing basic WordPress websites to help update and maintain the PTA website. This requires relatively little input at this time, but help would still be appreciated if you have the knowhow. Please contact richmondptapdx@gmail.com for more information.
Cultural Committee
To Japanese Speaking families
日本語スピーカーの皆さまへ
リッチモンドお茶会のお知らせ!
9月27日(金)8時15分から
リッチモンド小学校カフェテリアにて、お茶会(という名の井戸端会議の会)を開催します!
学校のこと、PTAのこと、お友達を作りたい人、お喋りしたい人、1人でも、初めてでも、ぜひ気軽に参加してください!
リッチモンド通信への登録
文化委員では、日本語で不定期にニュースレターを配信しています。学校行事などの大事な日程、ボランティアのチャンスなど、日本語で簡単に配信しています。もし興味がありましたら、ぜひご登録ください。登録リンク→https://forms.gle/kaYqKg7pQY2Hp4gG6
文化委員と一緒に日本の文化や言語に関するイベントなどのお手伝いに興味がありましたら、ptaculturalcommittee@gmail.comまでいつでも連絡ください!
From Oya No Kai
Stay connected: sign up for an Oya no Kai membership! Register your family for free just to get on our mailing list, or sign up for a paid Family Membership ($40) to be able to register your students for exchanges and camps - or just to support Oya no Kai’s mission. More information online at: https://oyanokai.org/membership/
Art Search
Oya No Kai will be celebrating its 36th year and we're feeling nostalgic. This year's Art Search theme is "Favorite Things of Japan." Visit our page for more detailed information!
Looking for 2 host families for interns at Richmond Elementary School immediately before 9/20!
Hi, families! It is time for interns starting in April to have a host family switch!
* In general, interns switch their host families in the middle of their 12 months internship after 6 months.
We are looking for new home for 2 interns below:
Koki Tamura sensei (currently assigned to 2nd grade Japanese classes)
Kazuki Kawahara sensei (currently assigned to 4th grade classes)
Those interns have been supporting teachers, students, the school, and the program since April! Please consider hosting one of them to support until the end of their internship here!
If you would like to know more about any of the interns, please let Haruka Takanuma, Intern Coordinator, know by email at haruka.takanuma@oyanokai.org.
Period of hosting: October, 2024 - March, 2025
Requirements of becoming host families:
Have an extra private room for an intern (bathroom can be shared)
Living within 45 minutes from Richmond by Trimet
Your child/ren are not in their assigned classroom
(Unfortunately we cannot match interns with families who have kids in their classrooms for many reasons.)
Feel free to contact Haruka with any questions or concerns you have anytime!
Thank you!
Haruka Takanuma/高沼はるか
Oya No Kai Intern Coordinator
親の会インターンコーディネーター