The Sabin Star

Our 3rd Annual Black Excellence Symposium was a fantastic community building moment to honor the achievements and growth of our Black students and community together.

Special thanks to La Shee Withers for winning our Community Member Award, NyNy Baker for winning the Principal's Award, and all our Sabin Student winners.

Thank you to the community for volunteering your time and energy to decorate, serve food, set-up and take down the spaces and connect with your neighbors for a powerful, positive event for all of our students.

Thank you Sabin!

Stay Organized with Sabin’s Google Calendar!

Dear Sabin Families,

Stay informed about school events, holidays, and special activities by subscribing to Sabin Elementary’s Google Calendar! This is the easiest way to keep track of important dates and stay connected with our school community. You can also view the calendar on the right side of our website.

How to Subscribe:

1. Click HERE. or for iCal click HERE
2. If prompted, sign in to your Google account.

Once subscribed, events will automatically update on your device!

Dear Sabin Communuty,

I am writing to share an important update regarding the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) offerings at Sabin.

As you may be aware, our district is facing a significant $41 million budget deficit, requiring difficult decisions about allocating resources while ensuring all students receive a high-quality education. After extensive review and careful consideration, the district will reduce PYP programming at Sabin to address this financial reality. At this time, the district is not pursuing the reduction of high school IB programming.

We recognize that this news is complex, and we deeply respect the impact this transition may have on students, families, and staff. IB has been a valued part of our academic offerings, and we honor our community's dedication to fostering the principles of inquiry, global-mindedness, and student-centered learning.

While this change is significant, our commitment to providing a rigorous and enriching academic experience remains unwavering. Our K-5 and Middle Grades academic teams will work closely with school leaders and educators to ensure students continue engaging in high-quality, challenging learning opportunities that prepare them for future success. We will also provide support during this transition, working alongside families and staff to maintain a strong, engaging, and future-focused educational experience for every student.

We want to express our appreciation to our educators, students, and families who have contributed to making these IB programs meaningful. While the structure of these programs is shifting, the spirit of inquiry-based learning and academic excellence will continue to be a cornerstone of our schools.

We understand that changes like these bring questions, and we remain committed to transparent communication throughout this process. Please don’t hesitate to contact Michael Diltz with any questions regarding this change.

Thank you for your continued partnership, resilience, and commitment to the success of our students. We are in this together and will navigate this transition with care, ensuring that every child continues to thrive.

With appreciation and respect,

Christopher Brida
Director of Career and Technical Education, AP/IB
Portland Public Schools

94 students in grades 3-5 participated

19 OBOB Teams

16 books (or more!) for each team

Congratulations to the Wild Robbobers

Want to get a head start on next year?

2026 OBOB book list and order form here

We are working on getting the books for the library.

We appreciate all the support from our local bookstore!

Sabin’s Chess Team is heading to State!

In addition to the team competition

Charlie Youel, Djuna Heggen, Ellis Robinson and June Decklemann qualified for the Individual State Tournament

Go Sabin Stars!

Get ready for an exciting Summer Acceleration Academy 2025!

This no-cost, invitation-only program provides K-2 students with targeted literacy instruction, hands-on math, project-based STEAM learning, and enrichment activities with SUN partners. Transportation, meals, and snacks are included.

Who Can Attend?

K-2 students at selected PPS schools who:

• Need additional literacy support based on winter assessments, or

• Receive English Language Development (ELD) services and are either new to the country or require reading support based on their ELPA score.

When?

📅 June 30 – July 31, 2025 (Closed July 4 & August 1)
⏰ Monday – Friday, 7:45 AM – 1:00 PM
➡️ Optional enrichment: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Limited spots, attendance commitment required)

Where?

Students will attend SAA at the following Hub Sites. View the locations here: SAA 2025 Map

📢 Invitations will be sent in March and April. Enrollment closes when grade levels and hub sites are full.

Looking forward to a great summer of learning!

Find the Golden Key at these locations

Literary Arts – 716 SE Grand Ave., PDX

Caldera Arts – 126 NE Alberta St., PDX
Third-Eye Books – 2518 SE 33rd Ave., PDX

Search for a Golden Key Bookmark hidden in the space.

Win a FREE family trip to OMSI on Saturday, April 5th!

Shout out to Third Eye Books off of Division

Oregon’s Only Black Owned Bookstore - it’s worth the trip!

Continues through April 2

In kindergarten we celebrated 100 days of school with fun activities, including making Fruit Loop necklaces! First, they practiced their math skills by filling 10 ten frames with Fruit Loops, then they used their fine motor skills to carefully thread their own colorful (and delicious!) necklaces.

Students are also diving into the world of coding by programming a fun car robot named Indi!

Also, Ms. Cahill’s 4th-grade class has partnered with Ms. Helen’s kindergarten class as reading buddies! Together, they are sharing stories, learning from each other, and making new friends.

Dear PPS Middle Grades families,

PPS is moving to a new Standards-Based Grading System for all 28 middle schools. The purpose is to provide clearer and more meaningful feedback to students. Some of our middle schools are already using this approach, and research supports its benefits. Our K-5 schools have also made progress in this direction with their report cards.

We invite you to visit our middle grades Standards-Based Grading website at pps.net/sbg. There, you can find updates, resources, timelines, materials, and FAQs.

Family and Community engagement (Virtual and in person)

February 13, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

March 13, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

May 8, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

There will be three family and community engagement events in person and virtually at the Prophet Education Center (501 N. Dixon St.) in the PPS boardroom. We invite all who have current middle grades students or students entering into the middle grades to these presentations where we will provide updates as well as listen to feedback and answer questions.

We believe grades are an important way to communicate with students and families. This new system will make it clearer what students need to do to meet academic expectations.

If you have any questions, please contact Richard Smith at rsmith5@pps.net. Check the website often for updates. We look forward to working with you during this exciting transition.

Do you have younger children who will be five years old on or before September 1st, 2025, or have friends or family in the neighborhood in these circumstances? Encourage them to join us at Sabin for one of our Connect to Kindergarten Events in the auditorium:

Wednesday, March 12th, 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Wednesday, May 14th, 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Wednesday, June 18th, 10 - 11 am

Wednesday, August 6th, 10 - 11 am

Families and students can attend a presentation, pick up registration packets, meet the teachers & some staff members, and tour a kindergarten classroom! If you have any questions, you can call our office at 503-916-6181 or email hmaharry@pps.net.

Our FIRST annual Sabin School Carnival is scheduled for Wednesday May 7th from 5:30-7:30. This will be a family friendly event with food, games and fun. More information will be coming soon. For now,

• Mark your calendars

• Start thinking about any raffle items you may be willing to donate! (Sports Tickets, Vacation Rentals, Gift Certificates or Themed Baskets!) Reach out to emleuning@gmail.com if you have something to donate.

Also if you are interested in potentially volunteering for the night of the event, sign up on our volunteer interest form so we can reach out to you!

Would you like to contribute to Sabin school, but are short on time to volunteer? Consider purchasing an item for delivery from the Sabin ES Amazon Wish List! This is a list of frequently necessary items - snacks, clothing, and health items - that are in high demand at school. (We are currently very short on larger clothing sizes for grades 4 & 5 who need a change of clothes.)

Thanks for supporting our Sabin Stars.

March 19th: Early Release @ 11:50am

March 24-28: Spring Break

April 4: Grading day. No school

Please send any content you would like included to jvillanuevavillarrea@pps.net