FPE Community Newsletter 01/08/2025

Happy Wednesday! Since winter break, and even before, we've been fortunate to have weather conditions that allow for outdoor recess every day. Thank you to the volunteers who carve out time from your schedules to be present on the playground during lunch recess, which runs from 11:20 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. It is so much fun to see the children at play, and the more parent volunteers we have on campus, the greater the level of safety while students play! Students, please remember to wear shoes or boots that can handle puddles, and bundle up when we go outside. We will avoid the hillside during this muddy/wet season and will use the staircase to the turf instead.

Emergency Response Plans- Does your family have one? FPE's Safety Commiittee has been updating emergency response plans since last year. Please follow this link to make or enhance your very own family emergency response plan. Nothing has brought the urgency of this work more into focus than watching my beloved Los Angeles battle fires. I have loved ones whose homes were spared, and loved ones who lost their home. In either situation, they were required to evacuate at moments notice. Having family, school, and community emergency plans in place becomes an obvious necessity.

Successful Schools Survey Results- Please find linked here a PDF of the results from family participation in the Successful Schools Survey. Twenty-seven families responded to the survey. My hope is to have more respondents in future surveys. I notice growth in many categories (notice the green arrow alongside each section). I also notice areas of growth-focus; School Safety and Family-School Communication. Staff committees are in process of reviewing results. We will devote time at our next site-council meeting (March 10, 3:30pm library) to review and discuss results.

PPS Resolutions- The PPS Board of Education voted to approve some resolutions.

Resolution No 7030 establishes how educators in PPS support students/families labeled as undocumented citizens. I will share more details regarding the recent board vote to ban cell-phone use during the school day in all PPS schools starting 2025. This is referred to as “off and away". Currently, the expectation at FPE is that all devices are silenced and placed in backpacks for the duration of the school day.

Report Cards- End of Quarter is January 24th. Teacher grading day is Monday, January 27th. If you require a hard copy of your students report card, please email forestparkattend@pps.net and give your students full name, grade and teacher name. All report cards will be available electronically through ParentVue.

Reminders:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• Monday, January 20th - Schools and offices closed; No school for students

• Grading Day

• Monday, January 27th - No school for students

• Planning Day

• Tuesday, January 28th - No school for students (next Planning Day 4/7/25)

• Fox Assembly

• Wednesday, January 29th at 8.10am

• Winter Walk & Roll to School Day

• February 5, 2025

• President’s Day

• Monday, February 17th - Schools and offices closed; No school for students *(possible snow day make-up: 2/17, 6/11, 6/12, 6/13)*

• OBOB (Oregon Battle of the Books) - All volunteers must have completed volunteer background check (email forestparkattend@pps.net to check your volunteer status if unsure)

• OBOB Pool Play #1 Portable 5 + Portable 6

• Wednesday, February 12th from 11.00am - 2.15pm

• OBOB Pool Play #2 Portable 5 + Portable 6

• Wednesday, February 19th from 11.00am - 2.15pm

• OBOB Bracket Play Portable 5 + Portable 6 + Library + Hallway

• Friday, February 21st from 11.00am - 2.15pm

• OBOB Semi Finals + Finals Library

• Monday, February 24th from 12.30pm to 2.15pm

• Vision & Hearing Screening - Friday, February 28th from 8am to 2.15pm in the Library (two background checked Volunteers needed to cover full day or partial shifts - please sign up HERE!)

• Vision Screening for K, 1, and 3 grades

• Hearing Screening for Kindergarten + 1st graders ONLY

PPS District information, links and support

Summer Camps:

• Cognizart 360Arts Summer Camps (Jul. 7-11, 14-18, & 21-25, 2025)

• OSU Summer Reading Program (Jun. 14 - Aug. 16, 2025)

Preschool Programs:

• Multnomah Early Childhood Program Peer Preschool Classes
  (Spanish) (Vietnamese) (Chinese) (Russian) (Somali) (Korean) (Arabic) (Persian)

• Portland Parks Preschool 2024-25

Community Events & Information:

• Multnomah County: Common Application

• City of Portland: 311 Non-Emergency Hotline
  (Spanish) (Vietnamese) (Chinese) (Russian) (Somali)

• Oregon Health Plan & Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace

• Multnomah County: Free Community Vaccination Clinic (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays)
  (English) (Spanish) (Vietnamese) (Chinese) (Russian) (Somali)

• Multnomah County: Student Health Centers (fliers in English, Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese):

• Cleveland HS

• Franklin HS

• Jefferson HS

• McDaniel HS

• Roosevelt HS

Camps, Classes, & After School Programs:

• Cognizart 31st Annual Young Artists Debut! Concert & Showcase (apply by Feb. 3 – Deadline extended)

• USTA Tennis Afterschool Zone at Maplewood (Jan. 14 - Feb. 25)

• Portland Parks & Rec Teen Force at SW Community Center

• VIBE of Portland Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids

Thank you, I hope you enjoy a lovely evening, Dr. Martini

West Sylvan Middle School Winter Showcase December 17th 7pm

Successful Schools Survey Flyer

Forest Park website

Forest Park Teachers & Staff List

Forest Park School Calendar

2024-25 PPS District Calendar

PPS Text Alerts sign-up

Childcare

Authorization for medication administration

Family Advisory Council for Education (FACE)

Nutritioun Services Breakfast & Lunch Menus Found Here

Steps to becoming a Volunteer

Volunteer application and District background check

Language resources for families

Symptoms of illness / exclusion from school information