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4/17/24

4/17/24

RGMS Weekly News 4/17/24

Community ~ Equity ~ Growth

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ADL Certified

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AVID School-wide

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SUN School Partner

Important Dates Ahead

  • 4/19 Arts Day/3rd Q Assembly

  • 4/26 8th Gr Spring Pictures, 9:45am-4:00pm ***DATE CHANGE***

  • 5/11 Gather for Gray - Hard Maybes, 7pm, @ the Cider Mill

  • 5/27-6/1 6th Grade Outdoor School

  • 6/06 8th Grade Celebration Day @ Oaks Park, 9:30am - 2:30pm

  • 6/13 8th Grade Promotion in the Ida B. Wells Auditorium with PTA Family Reception to follow, 6:30pm

  • Click here for the full RGMS calendar

From Assistant Principal Jeff Waters

Dear RGMS Community,


First and foremost, I want to extend a huge “thank you” to our PTA for hosting our evening dance last Friday. We had 50 parent volunteers, a ton of pizza, and Principal Newlyn and I had a lot of fun watching students have such a good time together. I also want to thank Ms. Brandin Bowen for taking on the dance as the planning coordinator for the last two school years. This is becoming one of our marquee events, and it wouldn’t be what it is without Brandin. Thank you!


Our PTA made the decision that our dance would be “device free” so that students could focus on being in the moment with one another rather than glued to their phones. 5 years ago, our PTA helped the school make the decision to become a device free learning environment. This means that our students are expected to keep personal electronic devices (phones, headphones, airpods, etc) put away throughout the school day.


There is a lot of emerging research that indicates that our PTA was ahead of the game, and many communities are running to catch up. Excessive smartphone usage by teens has been linked to everything from loss of sleep, reduced self esteem, and increased anxiety to loss of learning. Take a look at a couple of the links below to explore how devices are impacting students and to better understand why our community has agreed to the rules posted below.


https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/


https://www.weareteachers.com/phones-are-hurting-kids/#:~:text=The%20blue%20light%20from%20screens,a%20real%20emotional%20roller%20coaster.


https://nypost.com/2023/05/15/smartphones-are-destroying-kids-but-where-are-parents/


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7012622/



And below is the language from our Student Handbook. Please review it with your students.


In the service of students and families,


Jeff Waterst

Assistant Principal

Robert Gray Middle School

Personal Electronic Devices

What is a personal electronic device?

Cell phones and smart watches are the most common personal electronic devices, and anything with internet/texting capabilities counts including airpods, tablets, etc.


Headphones that are paired with a cell phone break our device Off and Away policy. Airpods are not permitted at any time.


What are the expectations for personal electronic devices?


At Robert Gray it is expected that personal electronic devices are Off, Away, and Invisible All Day. If parents need to communicate with you, they can call the office and get you a message. The school is not responsible for electronic devices that are broken, misplaced or stolen. Students are liable for electronic device usage according to the PPS discipline matrix.


What if I use a personal electronic device during the school day?


The 1st time a student is caught using a personal electronic device, it will be sent to the office to be picked up at the end of the day by the student


The 2nd time a student is caught using a personal electronic device, it will be sent to the office to be picked up at the end of the day by a parent or guardian.


The 3rd time a student is caught using a personal electronic device, it will be sent to the office and the student may be required to check in their device at the beginning of the school day.

RGMS New & Timely

8th Grade Photos

8th grade spring pictures will be taken on April 26. THIS IS A DATE CHANGE!

Order forms will be coming home later this week.

You can order online at mylifetouch.com with Picture Day ID EVTDZSF9X

8th Grade Celebrations Ahead

We are looking forward to celebrating the Class of 2028 as they promote from RGMS in June! Some important dates to hold onto:


  • 06/06 @ 9:30am - 2:30pm Celebration Day @ Oaks Park
  • 06/13 @ 6:30pm Promotion in the Ida B. Wells Auditorium with PTA Family Reception to follow

RGMS Spring Dance Wrap and Thanks!

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Dear RGMS Families and Staff,


I'm thrilled to report we had another successful school dance last Friday! The kids seemed to really enjoy themselves!


I wanted to take a minute to give my wholehearted thanks to my Co-host Jennifer Donovan, who did a fantastic job of managing our 45+ VOLUNTEERS! We couldn't have done it without your organization and positive attitude!


Our DJ Josh Roberts, absolutely CRUSHED it, again, while taking very enthusiastic and copious requests, mixing them in with skill!


Our photographer, Amanda Shamma, from Ambient Sky Photography did an amazing job again as well! Her beautiful photos of the students will be posted for FREE high res download on April 19.

Link: https://www.ambientsky.com/gray24/

Password to access gallery: Gray2024

Please keep her in mind for your family photo needs!


To Our 45+ Volunteers, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! We truly cannot do these events without you. From check-in, to dance floor monitors, to food servers, and the decorations crew--> YOU ALL ROCKED IT AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL!!


To Ms Newlyn, Mr Waters, Peggy, and the amazing Jackson custodial staff--> Thank you for all you did!!


And massive THANKS to the PTA who generously funded the whole thing, giving the students an INCLUSIVE completely free and fun evening!


My youngest has one more year at RGMS, which means Jennifer and I will do this again next year, hopefully with some 6th/7th grade families who can take the torch. =)


It's been a blast bringing the RGMS School dance back to life!


All my best,


Brandin and the Dance Committee

Jefferson Dances

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This week, the amazing Jefferson dancers will take the stage for the Jefferson Dancers Spring Performance at the Newmark Theater.


We would love to extend an opportunity for the Gray Middle School community to be our guest on Saturday evening. All price level 3 tickets are complimentary. Use the promo code: GRAY and you'll be able to select the seats you wish to have.


JEFFERSON DANCERS 2024 SPRING CONCERT

Portland'5 Newmark Theatre

Saturday, April 20 7:30 P.M.


GET TICKETS

PROMO CODE: GRAY - complimentary


OSAS Testing Info

Students will begin taking their OSAS tests in a couple of weeks. Our tentative RGMS testing schedule is as follows:


  • Reading OSAS- the week of April 29
  • Science 8 OSAS- the week of May 6
  • Math OSAS- the week of May 13th.


Student test results allow teachers and families to see student growth over time. Results are analyzed when determining opportunities for acceleration as well as to identify areas where students may need additional support.

Here is the link to the PPS page about testing opt outs.

RGMS Reminders and Weekly Announcements

Click here to see the Daily Student Announcements

From the Office

Please remind your student to charge their Chromebook overnight so they are ready to use the next day at school.


Please continue to use the Robert Gray MS phone number, 503 916 5676 to get ahold of RGMS secretaries. Calls are being forwarded to RGMS secretaries at Jackson MS.


Markham Elementary, Jackson MS & Robert Gray MS all have school buses arriving at different times, beginning at 3pm, at Jackson. If you need to pick up your student early from school, please, if at all possible, plan on doing so before 3pm when buses begin arriving. It is a very busy place after 3pm. Please park in the upper lot and walk to the main door, ring the bell and come to the office to sign out your student.

RGMS SUN School Schedule

SUN Snack Wishlist

RGMS Lifetouch Yearbook 2023-24

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Order Your Yearbook Now!

The last day to order a yearbook is quickly approaching! Student yearbooks will be on sale until Friday, May 10th.


LifeTouch Link To Purchase

Robert Gray Middle School

Yearbook ID: 14931524

Affinity Space Updates

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RGMS Affinity Spaces are BACK!

Check out our Affinity Space and Lunch Club schedule.

ADPI pictures below.

RGMS Foundation News

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The RGMS Foundation raises money to augment our elective options. The money raised is used at the principals discretion.


More Gather for Gray Music Nights

We are excited to be hosting more Music Nights at the Cider Mill. All events are from 7-9 PM, with minors allowed until 9 PM. Below are the dates for the upcoming events.


Saturday May 11-The Hard Maybes


BottleDrop Drive

1. Get Blue bags from the following locations: Rieke area-1656 SW Sunset Blvd.; Hayhurst area: 5252 SW Idaho St.; Bridlemile area-4031 SW Jerald Way

2 Fill Your Bags!

3. Return Full Bags to any BottleDrop location or Burlingame Fred Meyer.

4 Scan the Barcode on the bag to unlock the self-service bag drop.


Questions: Melissa Light, grayschoolfoundation@gmail.com

RGMS PTA NEWS

PTA Meeting TODAY (April 17, 2024) at 6:30 – Over Zoom!!!!

PTA Meeting TONIGHT (April 17, 2024) at 6:30 – Over Zoom!!!!

PTA meetings occur the 3rd Wednesday of every month. TONIGHT’S meeting will be over

Zoom.


If you’re potentially interested in being a PTA officer next year, this is definitely the

meeting to attend! We will also discuss staff appreciation week, among other topics.

Zoom information is as follows:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86339523318?pwd=TmZubFFFWWRFWlBaYzZLQnJ2V0lqZz09

Meeting ID: 863 3952 3318

Passcode: 080505


Haven’t joined the PTA yet? Do so now using this link.


You will have to select “ROBERT GRAY MS PTA (PORTLAND)” as your “Local Unit”. The rest

is straightforward and takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Membership is $20 for the year.

Do you wish to make a one-time or recurring donation to PTA? You can do so here. Click “Donate” then enter your amount and indicate your intent to donate monthly if desired!


Robert Gray PTA Volunteer Opportunities


Looking for ways to get involved this year? Use the following form to sign up for the events you are interested in and you will receive a follow up email with additional information. The time and support of our volunteers is greatly appreciated. Without it we couldn't make special Gray events happen! Some of these events include Run for Gray, Teacher Appreciation Week, Bottle Drop Fundraiser, Sustainability and extra supervision during lunch time, and more. Please consider volunteering or donating as you are able.


RGMS Volunteer Sign-up


Thank you for your time and support! Looking forward to a great year!


RGMS PTA

Get RGMS Text Alerts!

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Get text alerts about school closures, delays, emergencies and school events:


Text YES to 68453

Fliers Approved for Distribution by PPS

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About Us

Community Equity Growth

Email: lnewlyn@pps.net
Website: https://www.pps.net/gray
Location: 5505 Southwest 23rd Avenue, Portland, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 916-5676
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertgraymiddleschool
Attendance Reporting: grayattend@pps.net

Lisa Newlyn
Lisa is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters