From the Abernethy Office

Hello Abernethy and Happy Friday!

Another 5 day week in the books! We are getting back into the groove and it feels good!

The staff and I are continuing to work through our staffing plans for next year. We know that there will be movement in grade leve teacher assignments and we will comminucate those as we get closer to the end of this school year as there are still a lot of moving parts. Currently, the staff and I want to put our focus on what we have infront of us this year, and that is your students! We are very lucky to have such a strong and supportive community of students and families and we know that we will end this school year strong and be ready for whatever comes next year.

Our in person Scholastic Book Fair will be open March 11 thru March 15 from 8:30 to 4:00

Online shopping goes from March 11 through March 24.

Read Across America Day is celebrated on March 2nd, however, Read Across America Week is March 4th - 8th. The main goal in Read Across America is simple, bringing everyone together to read. A day to engage with our children to make reading a more fun and interactive experience is something we can all celebrate. Reading plays an integral role in shaping us into who we are and nowadays with smartphones and tablets, it is more essential than ever to motivate children to read.

Read Across America week is a way to "Celebrate a Nation of Diverse Readers", and we all know that Abernethy loves to read!

Abernethy's Read Across America Day will be Thursday, March 7th.

(More details to come!)

A big CONGRATULATIONS to our 2024 OBOB winners!

Team Book Dragons have won this year’s OBOB Competition.

Sydney Tichenor, Emerson Comly, Alice Duevel, and Bridget Spain. (All 4th graders)

It is that time again! Time to stock up on your Abernethy gear!

Click on the link below and get your spirit on!

Mr. Hartmann submitted a mini-grant proposal for spirit wear. Now, Eagle Track Club runners can earn spirit wear as they fill out their running logs: 13 miles logged earns a student a string bag; 26 miles logged earns an “I ran a marathon at Abernethy Elementary School” shirt; and 62 miles logged earns an Eagle Track hoodie.

As of 2/8/24, 58 students have joined and over a dozen grown-ups try to keep up. The Eagle

Track Club has totaled over 1,400 miles, which puts them on track for their goal of running the

distance from Portland to Washington, DC, by June.

In addition to their 20-minute runs three mornings a week, students and grown-ups continued to run during the November work stoppage and organized a Turkey Trot. Students have also

enjoyed mixed-grade relay events where 4-person teams combine runners from kindergarten

through fifth grade.

At the December Learner Profile Assembly, four Eagle Track members spoke to the student body about their experience running before school. Even as the weather gets colder and wetter, students continue to join.

It’s not too late to join and start logging your miles. Get your grown-ups to … <cough cough> try to keep up! And congratulations to Mr. Hartmann and the Eagle Track Club.

Do you know any incoming Kinders? Do you know any families looking at kindergarten options for next year?

Abernethy is hosting their first of two Connect to Kindergarten events this March 7th from 5:30 to 7:00.

Please help spread the word!

Classified staff are absolutely invaluable in keeping our schools safe and functioning. They are often found behind the scenes, supporting learning, getting kids to and from school, serving nutritious meals, maintaining buildings and keeping offices running smoothly. There is not one thing that can happen within our schools without the help and support and all the hard work of our classified employees. Please help us in celebrating our classified employees throughout the week of March 4th - March 8th!

Last week we kicked off the 2023-2024 Annual Appeal, Abernethy’s most critical fundraiser. The Appeal is a direct-giving campaign that will run for the next four weeks, through Friday, March 15th. We are asking you to show your children and the Abernethy Community your support. As fellow parents, we are confident that you will agree that supporting our children's education is crucial.

As you have most likely seen last weeks email from our outgoing superintendent, Guadalupe Guerrero, our schools are facing budget cuts across the board. Abernethy is looking at not only larger class sizes, but less instructional resources, academic support and enrichments around the building. Our students deserve more and advocacy at the state level is a must. However, the reality is, that any change coming from the state is going to take time, and our students are experiencing it now. Community fundraising ensures many valuable resources and programs for our students and teachers, both at Abernethy and other schools around the district via the PPS Fund. Reaching the Annual Appeal’s fundraising goal of $60,000 will help ensure enrichment programs, social/ emotional support as well as instructional support for our students.

All donations to the Appeal will go towards the Fund for PPS.

This fundraising helps support teacher positions. For example, this year we were able to use some funds from our Fund for PPS account, along with district provided Covid Relief funds to lower the class size in 4th grade from a minimum of 2 classes of 32 in each to 3 classes of 21/22 in each.

PLEASE GIVE AS GENEROUSLY AS YOU CAN.

Every donation – small and large – helps to ensure support for many of the school resources our students and teachers depend on. At the end of each week of the Appeal, there will be a prize drawing for a gift card to a local business or a pair of tickets to the Abernethy Alley Auction. So make your donation today to increase your chances of winning!

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION.

Participation in the Annual Appeal has never been easier! Simply scan the QR code provided here. Donating online is secure and easy, provides an immediate receipt for your tax records, and allows you to set up a recurring donation.

If cash or check is preferred, you can return it to the school in the green envelope brought home by your student, or mail it to the Abernethy office (2421 SE Orange Ave, Portland, OR 97214). Please make checks out to “The Fund for Portland Public Schools" with "Abernethy Foundation" in the memo line and your student name and grade are clearly marked on the envelope or check.

CONSIDER WAYS TO MAKE YOUR DONATION GO FARTHER.

Make it monthly! We love recurring donations - and you may too! If it helps you donate more over the course of the year, set up a recurring contribution through the ‘Make this a recurring donation’ check box on the website and contribute monthly.

Ask if your employer offers donation matching. Many employers match employee charitable donations.

Ask your community to support. Grandparents and other extended family members of Abernethy students are often happy to give.

With all donations through the Fund For PPS, Abernethy can look at different ways we can support our students through these cuts. Possible ways would be to fund our .5 counselor position that we lost, ensure that we keep a full time PE teacher or even hire an EA to help with the large class sizes in 4th and 5th grade.

As all donations to The Fund for PPS go directly to help support the loss of FTE within our school, advocy at our state level is definately needed. We would like everyone to please consider contacting our elected officials and PPS Board to let them know that we support their work to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students. If you'd like more information about advocacy opportunities for education funding, please reach out to advocacy@supportabernethy.org.

Thank you for helping to ensure Abernethy continues to be a great school for our kids!

Sincerely, 2023 Annual Appeal Chair

Beth Schuenemann (Owen - 4th, Day)

Our biggest fundraiser of the year is coming up and we need your help! There’s three ways you can get involved:

1) Volunteer leading up, day of, or post-event (email auction@supportabernethy.org to join the committee!)

2) Get your tickets HERE (Early bird pricing now! Prices will go up as we get closer to the date)

3) Are you a small business or know someone who would be interested in donating to the auction? (Email auction@supportabernethy.org with suggestions!)

This is just a reminder to help know when to keep your students home as well as for how long. We all want our students to stay healthy!

1. FEVER: a measured temperature equal to or greater than 100.4°F orally. • MAY RETURN AFTER fever-free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medicine.

2. COUGH: persistent cough that is not yet diagnosed and cleared by a licensed healthcare provider OR any acute (non-chronic) cough illness that is frequent or severe enough to interfere with participation in usual school activities. • MAY RETURN AFTER symptoms improving for 24 hours (no cough or cough well-controlled.)

3. DIFFICULTY BREATHING OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH not explained by situation such as exercise: feeling unable to catch their breath, gasping for air, breathing too fast or too shallowly, breathing with extra effort such as using muscles of the stomach, chest, or neck. • MAY RETURN AFTER symptoms improving for 24 hours. • This symptom is likely to require immediate medical attention

4. HEADACHE WITH STIFF NECK AND FEVER. • MAY RETURN AFTER fever-free for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medicine AND symptoms resolve. • This combination of symptoms may indicate a serious condition. Advise student’s guardian to seek medical attention.

5. DIARRHEA: three or more watery or loose stools in 24 hours OR sudden onset of loose stools OR student unable to control bowel function when previously able. • MAY RETURN AFTER 48 hours after diarrhea resolves OR after seen and cleared by a licensed healthcare provider or LPHA for specific diarrheal diagnoses.

6. VOMITING: at least 1 episode that is unexplained. • MAY RETURN AFTER 48 hours after last episode of vomiting OR after seen and cleared by a licensed healthcare provider.