Astor Connection

Principal's Message

Important Dates

Info, Reminders and Resources for Families

Resources

Volunteering opportunities at Astor

PPS District Fliers

Dear Astor Community,

I hope that the end of your school year was wonderful and that your summer break has started off great! This newsletter is a quick update regarding teacher assignments for next school year, community resources, and important dates for the summer/fall. There are also other important resources and opportunities for the summer, as well.

You can find a draft copy of our 24/25 calendar and student/family handbook here, as well. If you didn't already see the calendar and time changes for next year, then please see the note below. Additionally, you can find information on student lunches, MS periods, and dismissal times on early releases here. And, we are a Title 1 school this year! You'll get the title compact here in the back to school packet. Please sign and return.

In mid-August, families will receive their student's classroom assignment and/or schedule (Middle School Students). Each year, we remind families that we do not accept requests for classroom teachers. Our educators balance classrooms to ensure that we are able to meet all student needs throughout the course of the school year. This process starts in April and includes all our important teams on campus. Please trust in this process and that each of our educators can support each student's unique needs.

Finally, please reach out to me if there is anything that I can support with over the summer. While responses times may be longer, it's a long 10-week stretch, and I'm still available for support or to answer any questions.

Thank you all your partnership this school year! Have a wonderful summer and we'll have another newsletter out by mid-August.

Warmly,

Warmly,

Blake Robertson

Principal @ Astor

There are several staff that are moving on from Astor. I'm grateful for the work and commitment that they all had this past school year. I tell everyone I know that we have the best team of educators at Astor. Best. Team. Ever! They will be missed.

Mr. Gary

Ms. Jackie

Ms. Kether

Ms. Sheila

Ms. Torain

Ms. Wilson

Below, you'll find our current staff assignments for the 24-25 school year. My goal is to continue to build the strongest team of educators given our constraints. I believe that we have another strong year coming up with a talented and diverse staff.

As a reminder, we remind families that we do not accept requests for classroom teachers. Thank you for your understanding with this.

Astor 24-25 Staffing

Secretaries - Ms. Kealani, Ms. Gellar

K – Ms. Grassmeyer, Ms. Yovu

1st – Ms. Chrissy, Ms. Henderson

2nd – Ms. Drexler, Ms. Espinoza

3rd – Ms. Kali, Ms. Kishpaugh

4th/5th Blend - Ms. Floyd, Mr. Harrelson, Ms. Lingenfelter

6th and 8th Sci - Ms. Cortinas

6th and 8th ELA/SS - Ms. Germaneri

6th to 8th Sci - Mr. Altman

6th to 8th Math - Mr. Toole

7th and 8th SS - Mr. Bennett

6th and 7th ELA - Mr. Matsen

6th Sci - Mr. Nagle

K-5 Instructional Specialist and Coach - Ms. C. Brown

MS Instructional Specialist and Coach - Mr. McDermott

School Climate Specialist - Ms. T. Brown

Counselor- Mr. Knoblich

Social Worker - Ms. Scott-Merrion

Steam/ESL - Mr. Nagle

Media – Ms. King

Art- Ms. Havner

Music - Mr. Meek

Spanish- Mr. Chong

PE - Coach K

Special Education – K-5 Sped Ms. Finamori, MS sped - Katie Scott

K-5 SPED - OPENING

Paras - Ms. Maddi, Ms. Sharla, Ms. Ruth, and Ms. Sarah, and two additional Paras

504 EA - Merri W

SLP - Cara George and TBD

Student and Family Calendar and Handbook

June

20th - Astor Office Closes for the Summer

July

August

5th - Astor Office Opens (7:45am to 4:15pm daily)

7th and 8th - Astor Office Closed due to District Meetings (Tentative)

Mid-August - Class Assignments for students released via Remind

15th at 5:30pm - Connect to Kindergarten @ Astor!

17th from 9am to 12pm - Project Community Care Day @ Astor

21st - First Day for Teachers in building (No School - Professional Development)

26th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm - 4th Annual Warm Welcome at Astor

27th - First Day of School for Grade 1-6 (tentative staggered start for 6th grade)

28th - First Day of School for Grades 7-8

September

1st - Labor Day (No School)

2nd - First Full Day for All Kindergarteners and PTSO Boo Hoo Breakfast!

Next year’s bell schedules will change for Astor.

Beginning next school year, we added 15 instructional minutes for elementary and middle school students and provided all middle school students with a seven-period day. Accommodating these changes while supporting 410 minutes per week of teacher planning time and aligning our transportation systems requires us to adopt common start and stop times:

• At K-8 schools, all students will start at 8:45 AM.

• K-5 students will end at 3:15 PM.

• 6-8 students will end at 3:30 PM

• Astor's Bell Schedule is here

The 24/25 Calendars are below...

Saturday, August 17th, 2023 | 9:00am-12:00pm

Project Community Care is a wonderful opportunity for community members to help beautify our school grounds before students return for the school year! Volunteers come together to complete tasks from weeding, to picking up litter, to spreading mulch around flower beds.

Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Your time and energy will make a direct impact on students, families, teachers, and the neighborhood. It's a great opportunity to connect before the school year, and pre[are Astor for our students' and staff arrival. Hope to see you there!

Kindergarten to 5th grade

Supplies are purchased by the school for students in grades K-5. We kindly ask that parents send a donation of $35 if possible to support the cost of these supplies. Parents may certainly donate more or less, as well. We appreciate the help purchasing these materials for our students. You may send payment to the office or teacher or submit it on school pay here - https://pps.schoolpay.com/

Middle School

This year, we are asking for students to bring some of their own school supplies. You can find a list of these supplies here and below. We will make supplies available for any students that need assistance acquiring them. The school will be providing other materials such as binders.

• pens (blue and black)
  
• pencils (4 packs of 12 - suggested brand Ticonderoga)
  
• pencil sharpener (that collects shavings)
  
• colored pencils (12 or more colors)
  
• highlighters (assorted colors)
  
• clear ‘scotch’ tape--individual dispensers
  
• Loose-leaf college ruled lined paper pack (around 150 per pack)
  
• White out tape
  
• White erasers

Below are a few updates about our facilities and some exciting new upgrades around campus. A huge shout out to our custodial staff (led by Ms. Shiwaye) for their work preparing the school for next school year. And, a big thanks to the PTSO for the endless work in creating an incredible and welcoming playground space.

Updates

• Room 50 carpet removal, asbestos abatement, tiling
• Drainage replacement and repair (in response to winter flooding)
• Sidewalk replacement
• Security cameras
• More work TBA!

Attention all Astor students and families! It's our fourth annual warm welcome at Astor on August 26th from 2:30pm to 3:30pm! We hope to see you there.

Hi Astor Families!

Champions is proud to announce that we’re conducting **trial enrollment** for a new BEFORE-SCHOOL CHAMPIONS PROGRAM for next school year!

Mild interest has been expressed in utilizing a before-school Champions program if we could offer one. To gather more information about confirmed interest, we have opened a trial enrollment for Before-School care.

• · I’ve attached a flier to this email. Please review for hours and tuition rates.

• · For families currently utilizing Champions after school, you will need to access the parent portal and update your child’s enrollment to include before-school, then create a schedule for your child. If you are interested in the before-school program every week, please set a “recurring” schedule. · For families who are new to Champions, please visit www.discoverchampions.com to register/enroll. There is an enrollment fee that will need to be paid at the time of registration. You’ll be able to choose before-school, after-school or both programs and set your child’s schedule.

• If you encounter any difficulties while enrolling and scheduling, please reach out to Family Support at 800-246-2154. They are the experts who will assist you with registering/enrolling, scheduling, questions about billing or navigating the parent portal.

• · Pro-Tip: The Champions website/parent portal isn’t designed as a mobile interface. To avoid most technical difficulties, a desktop/laptop is recommended for the best user experience.

• · This trial enrollment period will be open for two weeks (June 3rd-14th). After that time, Champions will review confirmed paid enrollments and scheduled attendance to make final determinations on whether to move forward with the before-school program.

• · This is a trial to determine if a before-school program is sustainable for Astor next year. The number of paid enrollments and scheduled attendance are the factors needed to determine true interest. (We are not looking for a specific number. We want your enrollments and scheduled attendance to inform our next steps).

Champions Family Support 800-246-2154

Thank You,

Lanita Nail

Area Manager, Champions

Please share this message with all PPS Families! The Nutrition Services department is very proud to partner with Portland Parks and Recreation to provide free lunches to all children in our community ages 1-18 at select parks throughout the city. Portland Parks and Recreation's Free Lunch + Play is open to all and our team will be making lunches for parks, Monday through Friday, June 26 through August 9 (except July 4 and 5). Please visit our webpage for locations, lunch services times and more information: https://www.pps.net/Page/20860

More Information

Astor is excited to partner with Portland Backpack in the fall to increase our capacity to support the whole student. Portland Backpack is a nonprofit aimed at reducing hunger in student populations; they provide food sacks for weekend days. Read more about their mission here.

In the fall, we'll have an opportunity for families to sign up. Reach out to Theresa with any questions you have at tscottmerrion@pps.net

Check out our Student Support Team's new webpage for easy access to resources, relevant articles on supporting youth and information on Astor's counseling program. Information and links will be updated throughout the year.

Student Health Centers are like having a doctor’s office at school. They offer comprehensive primary and mental health care services to all Multnomah County youth ages 5-18. There are no out-of-pocket costs. More information can be found here.

Parkrose High School Health Center and David Douglas Health Center will be the only locations open during the summer. (Flyer attached)

PPS Pre-Kindergarten

PPS Pre-Kindergarten is available to any child 3 or 4 years of age by September 1, 2023 that resides within the PPS boundary. The program uses criteria for priority purposes; click here for more information.

Common Services Application

Multnomah County has created a Common Services Application to help people apply for up to 20 community programs. Now, you can use just one application to apply for as many programs as you want at one time, if you meet the basic requirements. www.forwardplatform.com/common-app

Eligible programs through the common application serve immigrant communities, young families, and low-income seniors and include.

You can learn more about the right to return program here. Please share with any families that you know might be interested.

You can find information about PPS HR here. The positions below would directly serve our community. Reach out to Principal Robertson (brobertson@pps.net) if you have any questions about these opportunities.

Paraeducator Substitute - (Position Number 26085) This position supports our CB K-2 room. We are looking for substitute paraeductors whenever our team members are absent for the day. Our CB room is heavily supported by other Astor Team and it's a great way to get involved with a wonderful group of educators!

Please see the link here for information regarding Summer EBT, which out families get access to this summer!

The loss of loved ones or any loss can be challening for our children. See the link for resources at TIP NW (Trauma Intervention Program Northwest): https://www.tipnw.org/

And, additional resources below...

UP summer camp is an extremely unique opportunity for the Youth in our area to not only get an athletic experience and enjoy the company of fellow youth in the community, but also it will be the first educational experience, where they will be toured on a college campus, while also getting to communicate and engage in daily activities with our 18 Student- Athletes on the Men’s basketball team.

We ask again that community members avoid Yale whenever possible in order to reduce traffic. It will be a Safe School Street again this year. You can learn more info about our traffic flow below and here. Thanks for support with this!

Questions? Contact Shane Nevius, PPS Safe Routes to School Coordinator, at snevius@pps.net or visit pps.net/saferoutes

(Translations are linked here):

******

Dear Families and Students,

We are so glad to have you back at school! We also wanted to remind you about actions you can take to stay healthy so you can stay in class and be ready to learn:

• Illness: Please keep your child home when they have symptoms that may exclude them from school.

• Student health conditions: Please update the school and nurse if there has been any change in your student's health condition during the time of the strike.

• Student medications: Please replenish medications that your student may need to receive during the school day. Also, remember to pick up your student’s expired medications from the school.

• State-required vaccines/immunizations: Ensure your student is up-to-date on all school-required immunizations. Students who do not provide proper immunization documentation by February 21, 2024 will be excluded from school. Primary care providers - including Student Health Centers and Multnomah County Health Department - provide no- to low-cost vaccinations to students.

• Access to health care: Multnomah County Student Health Centers and the Benson Wellness Center remain open during regular hours. Student Health Centers are a great place for students to receive sports physicals, well-child visits, school immunizations (shots), COVID-19 testing, vaccines & boosters, mental/behavioral health, age-appropriate reproductive services, routine lab tests, and prescription refills.

Health care coverage/insurance: People of any age or immigration status may be eligible for full Oregon Health Plan (OHP) benefits. OHP is Oregon's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program. Click here to learn more about eligibility, and to apply or report changes online. Families who do not qualify for OHP can sign up for health coverage during the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period, occurring now through January 15, 2024. Financial help for Marketplace plans also may be available. Find out what coverage and savings you can get - and find free, local help - at OregonHealthCare.gov.

Do you have 1 hour a week to make a difference in children’s literacy lives? Volunteer for SMART Reading at Astor School. Tuesdays, 1:15-2:15 PM. Learn more here: https://smartreading.org. Or contact Greg Dilkes: astor.mu@smartreading.org

Interested in volunteering at Astor! Your child's teacher may have opportunities, but we also have a great volunteering program. Astor Shine is back for it's second year. You can learn more about the program and sign up here. Thanks for your partnership in supporting our programs at Astor!

SUMMER CAMPS

• OSU Summer Reading Program (Jun. 15 - Aug. 17)

• Portland Art Intensive at Buckman (Jun. 17 - Jul. 12)

• Rec Tennis Summer Tennis Camps

• Argay Park (Jun. 17 - Aug. 16)

• Glenhaven Park (Jun. 17 - Aug. 23)

• SW Portland, various locations (Jun. 17 - Aug. 23)

• Skate Like a Girl Summer Camp (Jun. 17 - Aug. 23)

• Portland Metro Fire Camp for Women (Portland Jun. 21-23, Sherwood Jul. 12-14)

• VIBE of Portland S.H.I.N.E. for Young Artists Summer Camps (Jun. 24-28, Jul. 1-3, Jul. 8-12, Aug. 12-16)

• Cognizart 360 Arts Summer Camp (Jul. 8-12, 15-19, & 22-26)

• VIBE of Portland East Winds Band Camp (Jul. 22-26)
  (Spanish) (Russian)

• Apano/Jade District Movie Night (Aug. 2)

• PSU Jase Coburn Basketball Camps (Aug. 5-8)

• Oregon State University Summer Dog-training Research Program for Children with Developmental Differences

Camps, Classes, & After School Programs:

• VIBE of Portland Music & Digital Art Classes for Kids

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:

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

Vaccinations, Health & Wellness:

• 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