Classes on Normal Schedule Tomorrow

Dear staff, students, families,

As we mentioned in our message from yesterday, the forecast is calling for higher temperatures tomorrow and Friday. Student and staff safety is our number one priority and, in the event of extreme heat, we have numerous mitigation strategies at our disposal to ensure that our learning spaces are comfortable and healthy.

These strategies include opening windows, circulating air overnight, distributing fans, and, when necessary, moving students into the coolest spots in the building. We are confident that, by following these mitigation measures, we can keep staff and students safe. We will continue with a normal school day tomorrow (September 5).

We understand that heat does not impact everyone equally and families will make the best decisions that meet their students’ needs. Our teams will work hard to support all of our students, especially our most vulnerable.

A few simple steps we can all take to protect ourselves during an extreme heat event include:

• Staying hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Many of our buses are not air conditioned, so we strongly suggest bus riders bring full water bottles on their way home.

• Minimizing physical activity during peak heat hours. Peak heat will hit in the late afternoon and early evening tomorrow.

• Staying out of the sun whenever possible.

We also recommend that you recognize the signs of heat-related illness. The resources below offer more helpful tips:

• Ready.gov/Heat. A one-stop resource with tips for dealing with high heat.

• Help When It’s Hot. Multnomah County’s comprehensive guide to staying safe in the heat that also includes information on local cooling shelters, extended library hours, and public transportation.

• Extreme heat and children. A guide to taking care of children during heat events.

While classes will continue on the normal schedule, after-school activities in non air-conditioned PPS buildings are canceled tomorrow. These include childcare, PPS-sponsored activities, and CUB and third-party programs. Athletics will follow OSAA guidelines when making decisions about practices and activities.

We will continue to closely monitor the forecast and will be in touch tomorrow with an update.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jon Franco, Chief of Schools

Dan Jung, Chief of Operations